


Linked in Life and Love - Act I: From Life to Love

by l_OmegaInfinity_l



Series: Linked in Life and Love - Full Story [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Accidental Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, I did not think it would get this big, Marking, No Smut, No enabler, Pollination, Polyamory, Seriously how?, Story Goals:, Take cliche 'Faunus in heat' concept and make an actual story out of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 89,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_OmegaInfinity_l/pseuds/l_OmegaInfinity_l
Summary: A single intimate night together... and it lead to so much more. Follow as Team RWBY dive into a relationship none of them could have imagined, trying to make sense of their new situation, as well as deal with the reactions of the people around them. All the while facing White Fang drama, family secrets, and most devastating of all: homework. Pollination, with no Enabler.Or:There were so many Pollination stories that were nothing but smut that I wanted to try and make one that was an actual, full length story... and I somehow obliterated the RWBY canon in the process.  Whoops.





	1. Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/1/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

**Linked in Life and Love**

 

**Act I: From Life to Love**

 

 

Blake squinted her eyes against the sudden onslaught of light. She flung her arm over her face, trying to chase away the evil glare that had woken her so suddenly. Her cat ear flicked as a small breeze passed over it, the instinctive motion sending a sudden shot of pain.

 _Oh, Dust, my head,_ she thought through the dull ache in her skull. She moved her arm back down, grimacing as she did. _Uh… why am I so sore…?_

Her ear flicked again as another breeze drifted past. She blinked blearily, the blurry image of Yang’s bunk above her slowly coming into focus. She turned her head to the side, regretting it instantly as the unforgiving morning sun blazed at her from the window. She threw up her hand to protect her eyes.

_What… what happened last night?_

She tried to dredge up memories of the previous day, her pounding head not helping matters. Another breeze made her ear flick again, much to her annoyance.

 _Okay… it was the last day of classes for the week. Yang suggested we do something fun in Vale… bright lights… a carnival?... no, an arcade. Ruby made me play that dancing game… Weiss kept losing at skeeball… got flustered._ Her lips curled up at the thought of the Ice Queen, red-faced and flustered at failing at a ‘children’s game’. _Yang tried the punching machine…_ broke _the punching machine… argued with the owner… got us thrown out… then… then…_

Blake frowned, her mind getting foggier as she dug further into the night. Her ear flicked again at another breeze.

_Went back to our room… still early… Ruby suggested… movie night? Some… action flick… Yang’s choice… Dumb, but fun. Then…_

Another breeze, another flick of the ear.

_Then… it got… warm?... Uncomfortable?_

Breeze. Flick.

_I was… scared? Couldn’t find…_

Breeze. Flick.

_Velvet… Infirmary? Lockdown… burning…_

Breeze. Flick.

_Ruby… Yang… Weiss… tears… lips…_

Breeze. Fli-

_...soft… hands…_

Breeze. Flick. Flick, flick, flick, flick.

Blake’s eyes shot open.

_Breeze?_

She looked at the window. It was shut.

_...not… a breeze?..._

Very slowly, Blake turned her head around, her amber eyes shut tight as if not seeing the source of the ‘breeze’ would make it disappear.

She felt air against her forehead.

With all the willpower she could muster, Blake cracked a single eye just a sliver open.

A sea of yellow took up her vision.

With growing dread, Blake opened her eyes fully.

Yang Xiao-Long lay beside her, one arm folded behind her as a makeshift pillow. Her head was tilted towards Blake, the unkempt mane that was her hair splayed out in all directions. Every breath of her silent snoring sent small puffs of air ghosting into Blake’s hair, making her ears twitch before she quickly folded them down against her head.

_Yang? But… why is she in my bed? And why…?_

As Blake’s eyes drifted down Yang’s body, her train of thought came to a screeching halt.

The first thing that caught her attention was the complete lack of the loose orange tank-top Yang always wore to bed.

The second was the head of white hair laying on her uncovered chest.

Weiss Schnee, heir to the most powerful Dust company on the planet, was snoring softly with a content smile on her face as if the brawler beneath her was the most comfortable pillow in the world. And judging from her bare shoulders, she was in the same state of dress (or lack thereof) as the blonde.

_Weiss?! But… she… and Yang… in my bed! But… why… how…?_

The Cat Faunus’ heart sped up as reality came crashing down on her, the pieces quickly completing a puzzle she really didn’t want to solve. But it wasn’t until she started taking deep, anxiety-filled filled breaths that the final damning piece clicked into place…

_Why is it so hard to breathe?_

Swallowing her dread, Blake hesitantly looked down, already knowing what she’d see:

A head of black hair, the tips dyed red, resting on her bare chest.

And as the final nail in the coffin, she could see, as well as _feel_ , that neither of them had a speck of clothing on.

Blake took a full minute to take in her three nude teammates, all crammed together on her little double bed.

For a final confirmation, Blake took a small sniff of the air.

…

Yep.

…

_WHAT THE HELL?!_

* * *

 

 

**The Previous Night…**

“Oh, Dust, is this for real?” Yang wheezed out between laughs.

Blake pressed her knuckles against her lips, trying to keep from bursting out laughing. Things had started out simply enough. Team RWBY, having changed into sleepwear, were sitting on Weiss’ bed as her scroll projected a movie against the far wall. Blake sat against the wall, Yang at her side. Weiss sat at the edge of the bed, while Ruby lay on her stomach beside her, chin propped up on folded arms. It looked to be a rather normal end to a good day.

But as soon as Yang’s choice of movie started playing, all four girls had alternated between eye-rolling, groaning, or just outright laughing at the testosterone-fueled explosion fest before them.

To be fair, to the average person it was probably an okay, if silly, representation of what the world of Hunters was like. But to four Huntresses-in-training who fought actual Grimm on a regular basis?

It was outright ludicrous.

“C’mon, Yang. _*chk*_ ” Ruby said through tight-pressed lips, snorts of laughter escaping every few words. “It’s not _*chk*_ that bad.”

Yang laughed out loud. “Ruby, he just drove a car out of a plane, bounced it off the back of a _Nevermore,_ then drove it into _another_ plane…”

“While on fire,” Blake added.

“While on fire!” Yang echoed, descending back into laughter.

“Where do they come up with this stuff?” Weiss mumbled, trying so, _so hard_ to keep a straight face and failing miserably.

Blake smiled, and not just from the color commentary her team was providing. Hard to believe that only a year ago, she’d been running from both White Fang and the authorities, trying desperately to scrape up the money for Beacon’s entrance fee. Now she looked around, and she had true friends, people who stood by her…

“Oh, I call bullcrap! Fire doesn’t work that way!”

...dysfunctional though they may be.

“No, no, I’m sorry lady. You can’t outrun an explosion. You’re freaking dead.”

“I can,” Ruby said, looking back.

“Yeah, _you can_ , Little Sis. I don’t see any rose petals behind Miss bandana-head here.”

Blake let out a small laugh at the sisters’ antics. Judging from her shaking shoulders, Weiss was about to lose it.

After a few more minutes of gunshots, explosions, and poorly written one-liners, Yang suddenly clutched her stomach, doubling over from laughter. “ _*snk*_ I can’t… I just, I just can’t… _*snk*_ ” She was laughing so hard that she fell over, landing in Blake’s lap.

Blake rolled her eyes. Yang had exactly no respect for personal space, a trait she shared with her sister. After so long keeping to herself, it had taken Blake a while to get used to the sudden hugs and shoulder-punches the two continually subjected her to, but she was starting to reach the point where she accepted them as commonplace.

A sudden burst of heat went across Blake’s skin, rather low but noticeable. Blake ignored it, chalking it up to the blonde’s higher that normal temperature. After a few seconds, though, she noticed the heat increasing steadily. She frowned, looking down to see if Yang’s Semblance might be to blame, but no, there was no yellow glow. Just a mass of blonde hair, drifting and ghosting across her skin, tickling her thighs like tiny strands of silk, Yang’s cool cheek against her leg…

Wait… cool? Yang was never ‘cool’. She was always warm, much more than normal. She always felt like she’d been in the sun all day. So why…

Blake froze as the blonde kept laughing, her cool breath blowing across her bare legs.

 _No, oh no, is that tonight?_ Blake quickly counted the days, ignoring the scorching feeling across her skin. She cursed mentally. _Damn, it is! Okay, no big problem, just got to get to my bag._

The movie stretched on for an agonizing ten minutes, Yang’s head staying in Blake’s lap as she couldn’t stop laughing as the cheesy action got worse and worse as the seconds ticked by. Blake tried to ignore her, and the feelings that she was suddenly aware of, praying that no one would notice her sudden stiff posture.

 _Finally,_ after a few parting one-liners, the screen faded to black as the credits rolled. “Okay, I think that’s all the stupidity I can handle for one night,” Weiss said as she clicked her scroll off, a sharp smirk betraying her attempt at decorum.

“Oh, admit it, Snow Queen,” Yang said as she sat up ( _thank Dust!_ ), rubbing tears from her eyes. “You were enjoying yourself.”

Weiss let out a huff as she stood up from the bed. “The fact that I found the movie hilariously moronic does not change the fact that it was still _moronic_.”

“Exactly! The best kind of bad movie is when it’s so bad it’s good!” Yang said proudly as she got up, stretching her arms as she did so.

“I still don’t think it was _that_ terrible,” Ruby mumbled as she pulled herself up.

“Ruby, there was a giant robot snake that shot lasers from its tail!”

“...I thought that was kinda cool…” She grumbled as she climbed up to her bunk, ropes creaking ominously as she did.

As her teammates continued to bicker and joke, Blake made her move. Moving quickly while her team was distracted, she made it to her bunk and grabbed her bag from its hook on the wall. She started rifling through it, looking, searching…

 _Come on… where is it…?_ She thought desperately, feeling warmer by the second. _Where… a-ha!_ Relief flooded through her as she found the tiny orange bottle at the bottom of her bag. She gave it a little shake.

…

She shook it harder.

…

Blake stared down at the silent bottle with wide eyes.

_E-empty?! H-how can it be empty?! I refilled it just last-_

She looked up in horror.

Last month. When her friends found out she was a Faunus. When she disappeared for almost a week hiding from them. When she spent so much time worrying about her team and the White Fang.

She forgot to get a refill.

Blake stared at the empty bottle, cold dread filling her just as equally as the uncomfortable warmth.

_This is bad, this is very, very bad, I can’t- No! No, no, no, just calm down and think. Okay, I’m empty, but… but maybe some other Faunus on campus would let me borrow some of theirs, just once. Maybe… Velvet! Yeah, Velvet’s nice, she’d understand… wait, no, her team’s away on a mission. Damn! Um… Oh, Sun! Eh… That’d be.. Awkward. I know he’d help, except… I don’t know where his room is… Ugh! Maybe… the infirmary? I’m sure they’d have some, but I doubt the faculty would just give me some…_

“Blake? You okay?”

Blake flinched, dropping the bottle back into her bag. She turned to see Yang right next to her, looking concerned.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine, Yang. Why do you ask?” Blake replied, willing herself not to stutter.

“Well, you’ve been staring into your bag for five minutes. What, did someone steal your wallet?”

“No, I-” Blake could practically hear the light bulb go off in her head. She plastered on as convincing a smile as she could muster as she spoke. “Actually… yeah! I think I left it back in the cafeteria! I’m just going to run down and grab it real quick.” Blake moved to the door before Yang could respond, and pulled the handle.

It didn’t budge.

“What?” She tried it again, to no effect. She jerked it in panic back and forth, to no avail.

She turned around, finding her whole team staring at her. Ignoring her reddening cheeks, she asked, “Did one of you lock the door?”

Yang and Ruby shook their heads, confused. Weiss took a step towards the door, scroll open. Blake took a step out of her way, leaning back so as not to brush up against her. Weiss glanced at her out of the corner of her eye before waving her scroll over the door lock.

 _*Be-beep*_ A deep note came from the scroll, the word “REJECTED” flashing across the screen in big red letters.

Weiss stared at the screen, incredulously. “Rejected? Why on Remnant-”

 _*De-Dum*_ A video suddenly opened itself on Weiss’ scroll. The image of Glynda Goodwitch appeared, looking stern as always. “Attention students. Due to a security threat on school grounds, we are placing Beacon Academy on lockdown. All students are to not leave their dorm rooms for the remainder of the night. Any students currently outside their rooms are to make their way to the nearest public location, such as the cafeteria or training room. Have your IDs ready if you are in this situation. You will be informed when the lockdown has been lifted. That is all.”

Team RWBY stared at Weiss’ scroll, confused and, in a certain Faunus’ case, terrified.

“Lockdown?” Weiss muttered.

“So, what, they locked us in our room?” Yang asked. “Can they even do that?”

“Apparently. What do you think’s going on?” Ruby wondered.

As her teammates talked, Blake felt the world fall on her shoulders. She felt her insides ice over, an iceberg in a boiling sea.

_I’m… locked in? No way to… stop it?_

Blake looked around the room at each of her teammates as they spoke. Ruby was hanging off of her bunk, animatedly stating her theory for the lockdown, obviously influenced by the film they’d just seen, Yang laughing at her ideas as Weiss shook her head in exasperation.

Blake swallowed through her dry throat, slowly making her way to her bed. She pushed away the burning feeling, the ache that had now appeared. Sitting down, she reached over her table and picked up the book she’d been reading the last few nights. With conscious effort, she leaned against the wall, opened the book, and tried to get comfortable.

_It’s… it’s just one night. I… I can do this. I can make it through… one night… just this one, single time, with no problem. I am a Huntress, I fight monsters on a daily basis. I can survive… one night… just got to make it through… one night… I can do this… I… can… do this…_

Her frantically twitching bow said otherwise.

* * *

 

**One hour later…**

She was going to die.

Blake held her book close to her face, her hands shaking, her breath choppy. She kept her eyes glued to the pages, rereading the same words over and over again, unable to focus. She swallowed, before again glancing up at the room.

Weiss sat at their shared desk, pencil scratching across paper as she worked on the day’s homework. Back straight, posture relaxed, her head tilting back and forth slightly as she alternated between reading her textbook and writing down notes.

Ruby was doing the same at Weiss’ insistence, though with less success. She was sitting cross-legged on her bunk, surrounded by books and binders. She furrowed her brow at the book in her hand, chewing on her pencil nervously.

Any other night, a normal sight in the Team RWBY dorm.

But for Blake, it was anything but. Her senses were on overdrive, every sight, sound, and scent screamed at her, drawing her attention. The way Weiss’ hair drifted over her eyes as she moved her head, the delicate way she moved her fingers as she turned the pages of her book. The slight grinding sound of Ruby’s teeth biting into the soft wood of her pencil, her tongue trailing across her lips as she stuck it out in concentration.

But the most distracting, the most tormenting, came from the small trails of steam floating from under the bathroom door. With her already strong hearing increased, she could clearly hear Yang’s quiet humming, her fingers squeaking through soapy hair, the near-silent beating of water against her soft, wet skin…

Blake slammed her book shut, eyes clenched and teeth grit, banishing the image from her mind.

_No! Stop it! Control I am in control! I am in control…_

She took a deep breath and held it, clenching her hands into fists.

It _hurt_ . What had started as a warmth had become a fire, a raging inferno that was screaming, _begging_ , to be quenched. It was like someone had replaced her blood with lit Fire Dust, and she was burning from the inside out, and _Dust_ it was painful. She was at the point that it took all of her willpower not to scream in agony. She only barely felt the sharp twinges as her clenched fists dug her nails into her palms.

_I am in control… I am in control… I am-_

“Blake?”

Blake’s amber eyes snapped open at the very sudden, very _close_ voice.

And she stared directly into the bright silver orbs right in front of her.

 


	2. Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/2/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

Something was wrong with Blake.

For the last hour, Ruby had been trying to understand the obscure notes of her history homework. Normally, history was one of her better subjects, despite the rather obscure points Professor Oobleck always asked for in the homework, but tonight she just couldn't focus.

Ruby knew she wasn't really the best choice for team leader, despite her friends telling her otherwise. She wasn't as smart as Weiss, or calm and collected like Blake, or even as confident as Yang. She had trouble focusing, acted a bit impulsive, and nearly always missed the point of whatever she was being told.

And yet, everyone, from her teammates to Team JNPR to the headmaster himself, all believed that she was the one who should lead, despite her thoughts to the contrary. She didn't get it.

She was grateful for their faith in her, truly she was, but she didn't get it.

But Ruby Rose was not a quitter. If everyone thought she could be a leader, then gosh darn it, she was going to be the best leader she could! Even if her book-smarts were a bit… lacking…

Yes, Ruby knew she was lacking in some areas, but she was determined to make up for it in others. And the very best way she could think of was by knowing her team.

Yang was easy. Ruby had known her Big Sis since… forever, really. What she liked, what she hated, favorite places to go, things to do, even the things she feared the most (which Sister Law dictated she never reveal to anyone, ever).

Weiss was a bit tougher. Any and all inquiries about her family brought up 'The Wall', as Ruby had started to call it when Weiss' voice got low and her eyes hardened. All Ruby knew was that she had an older sister who she didn't talk to very much, but seemed to make Weiss a little sad when she talked about her, and her father, who Ruby got the feeling was a man she never wanted to meet. Her mother hadn't been mentioned once, which told Ruby that the woman was either worse than Weiss' father, or was dead, neither something Ruby wanted to dwell on.

Aside from family, however, Ruby had actually discovered a surprising amount about her partner. Mainly, Weiss had a love for rather simple things, despite her upper class upbringing. Small things like movies, window shopping, even sweets. Once, on a trip to Vale, Ruby had dragged Weiss into an ice cream parlor because she was hungry. The look on Weiss' face when she bit into what, to Ruby, was just a regular vanilla ice cream cone, eyes big and practically sparkling, would be etched into Ruby's mind as one of the cutest things she had ever seen, not that Weiss would ever admit it. Come to think of it, maybe it was  _because_  she grew up in high society that she took pleasure in things Ruby considered normal.

Weiss also valued truth and honesty, despite her evasion on topics she didn't want to talk about (something Ruby would have to talk to her about at some point). She was very slow to trust people, but seemed to be rather loyal once you had earned her trust. However, she was very unforgiving if she believed that trust had been misplaced, and a bit impulsive when it came to condemning said alleged trust-breaker (look no further than the thing with Blake a few weeks ago).

Speaking of Blake, however, that was the one that troubled Ruby a bit. Ruby knew even less about her past than she did Weiss'. She was a former member of the White Fang… and that was it. No family, no former friends, places she'd lived or hung out at; nothing. The one time Ruby had asked about her family, all she received was a brief blank stare, before Blake put on a rather forced smile and gently brushed her off.

However, Ruby had managed to piece a few things together about Blake as a person. She liked seafood (for a now obvious reason) but also had a taste for sweet fruits, like apples and tangerines. She liked athletics, mostly things to do with acrobatics or fast footwork (got the proof on that one at the arcade. Blake wiped the floor with her at that dance-rhythm game, and seemed to enjoy doing it). She preferred the peace and quiet, though was willing to put up with a surprising amount of noise around her to enjoy a good book. She was always very calm, very mellow, and seemed to not let anything bother her for too long.

That was what made Ruby worried. That was how Blake had acted for the few months she had known her. The only time she had lost that cool was her fight with Weiss, and even then Blake had seemed to return to her 'normal' after all was said and done.

So what was wrong with her now?

Ruby looked down at Blake from her bunk. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place, just quiet ol' Blake, her nose buried in a book. But, as Ruby had noted, something seemed… off.

The first hint was just after the movie had ended. As she and Yang had bickered with Weiss over the merits of watching bad movies for the fun of it, Ruby had seen Blake move towards her bag. Not that strange, except for how… stiff Blake seemed to be moving, like she was on a mission. Then there was her just staring into space for, like, five minutes afterwards. And then the thing with her wallet…

Ruby frowned. Blake… lied. She had her wallet when they were at the arcade. Ruby saw it when Blake swapped some lien for game tokens. And she never went to the cafeteria after that, they all went back to the dorm as a group.

Ruby stared at Blake, looking her over. Blake reading a book was normal,  _this_  was not. When she read, Blake usually held her books down a bit so you could always see her eyes trailing across the pages. This time, she held the book higher so her face was blocked. Her shoulders were tense, and she seemed to be clutching the book rather hard, judging by the light shake in her hands.

A sharp movement caught Ruby's attention. At first she thought she had imagined it, but then it happened again: every few seconds, Blake's ever-present bow would twitch sharply.

Ruby was really worried now. Even though they all now knew Blake was a Faunus, said Faunus still never took off that bow. Ruby had seen her cat ears only once, very briefly that night on the docks, and never since. Heck, she doubted Yang or Weiss had seen them at all yet. Knowing they were there, Ruby had grown rather impressed with how Blake was able to keep them so still all the time, never letting others in on the secret.

Which is what made their frantic twitching now all the more concerning.

Ruby chewed on her pencil nervously. Her eyes turned to her partner, calmly doing schoolwork with an ease that made Ruby slightly envious. The leader put down her textbook and pencil, and made to get down from her bunk.  _Maybe Weiss-_

_**SLAM!** _

Ruby jumped as the silence was shattered by a large bang, nearly falling off the bed. The noise startled Weiss into dropping her pencil. They both snapped their heads toward the noise-

Ruby felt her heart clench.

Blake had slammed her book shut, dropping it in the process, giving Ruby a clear view of her Faunus friend. Her hands were clenched into fists so tight her knuckles were white. Her face was very red, thin lines of sweat trailing down her forehead. Her eyes were shut tight, and Ruby couldn't tell if the moisture in the area around them was more sweat or the start of tears. Her mouth was twisted into a pained grimace.

Ruby quickly turned to Weiss, who returned her look with one of confusion and concern.

As Weiss stood up, Ruby leapt off of her bunk and dashed across the room, stopping right in front of Blake.

 _She's shaking,_  Ruby noticed with a frown.

Ruby bent down slightly. "Blake?"

Blake's eyes snapped open. "R-Ruby?"

Ruby frowned at her confused tone. "Blake, are you okay? You don't look so well."

Blake stared, before flinching back, eyes screwed shut. "I-I'm f-fine, Ruby,-" was she clenching her teeth? "-j-just a little… a little warm…"

 _She's lying again._  A bead of sweat slid down Blake's forehead. On a whim, Ruby wiped it away with the back of her hand. Her eyes widened as she held it there, Blake's eyes flying open at the contact.

"Blake, you're burning up! I think you have a fever or something-"

Ruby stopped as Blake's wide eyes slowly slid closed. Ruby opened her mouth to say something, when she felt Blake lean forward, pressing her forehead against her hand. "Blake?"

Blake ignored her, dipping her head a bit, her hair touching Ruby's hand.

Ruby grew more confused as Blake started to rub against her hand, pushing it higher up her hair line. "Blake, are you feeling-"

She fell silent as Blake dipped her head farther, a small smile forming on her lips. Ruby nearly gasped as her fingers brushed against the bow, the knot holding it in place loosening.

The leader was at a loss for words as Blake rubbed one, two, three more times, until one side of the bow fell back, and Ruby felt soft fur beneath her fingers.

"Oh," was all she could manage.

"Wow…" Ruby turned her head to find Weiss right behind her, pale blue eyes glued to Blake's revealed cat ear.

Blake kept rubbing until she let out a small huff, her smile faltering as she began rubbing slightly harder against Ruby's limp hand.

_Does she want me to do something?_

With no other ideas, Ruby lifted her hand slightly and scratched behind Blake's ear.

Blake shuddered suddenly before relaxing. Ruby felt Blake start to vibrate, and a deep rumble filled the air.

"Is she-? Is she  _purring?!_ " Weiss said in a stunned whisper.

Ruby was just as shocked. She scratched harder, and the rumbling grew louder. Ruby felt the corners of her mouth perk up.

_Is this a Faunus thing? She wanted someone to scratch her ears? No, that can't be it, why would she feel this warm?_

For about a minute, Ruby stood there scratching Blake's ears, the rest of the bow coming loose. Weiss watched on, entranced by the spectacle before her.

Just as soon as it had started, Blake stopped purring. She lifted her head, Ruby's hand still curled around her ear.

 _I guess she wants to talk now._  "Blake?"

Blake opened her eyes, and Ruby felt her heart jump.

Blake's yellow eyes were narrowed like a cat's, her irises narrow slits. She smiled softly.

"Blake? Are you oka-"

Blake lunged.

It took Ruby's brain a few seconds to process exactly what had happened as she slowly registered the flushed face taking up her vision, the soft but forceful feeling pressing against her lips, the rough texture running over her tongue…

_Oh, Blake is kissing me._

…

_BLAKE IS KISSING ME!_

Ruby felt stuck. Part of her was screaming to push Blake away, to stop this… whatever it was. But another part thought that… it felt… kinda nice.

Ruby's eyes slowly slid closed, Blake giving a hum of contemplation as she leaned into the kiss.

_Really nice…_

" _ **WHAT THE HELL?!"**_

Ruby jumped back, feeling like a bucket of ice water had been splashed over her. She opened her eyes to see Blake still in front of her, blinking rapidly as her slitted eyes morphed back to normal. She stared at Ruby, confused, before gasping, eyes widening. She gaped silently, before her head snapped to the side. Ruby followed suit, and nearly jumped back again.

Yang stood in the bathroom door, sleepwear on, hair wet, hands clenched, and eyes a  _murderous_  shade of red. When she got no answer, she slowly marched forward, gaze locked on the terrified Faunus, Weiss wisely getting out of her way.

"I repeat: What? The?  _ **Hell?!**_ "

Blake's eyes flicked between Yang, Ruby, and a thoroughly confused Weiss as she sputtered for a response. "I-I…"

"'I-I,' what?!" Yang raised her arm a bit, looking about ready to throw a punch.

Ruby's frazzled mind had finally caught up with the situation, and she was about to jump in front of Yang, hoping to give Blake a chance to explain ( _she can explain, right? I mean, there's a reason she just… kissed me… right?_ ) when Blake beat her to it.

Just as she had a month ago, Blake phased out of existence as a black blur shot across the room. The slam of the bathroom door echoed throughout the room, the click of the lock following soon after

 


	3. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/3/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

**Chapter 3: Cold**

Blake pressed herself against the door, gasping in steam-filled air as her heart pounded in her chest. Part of it was from the fear that Yang looked so pissed, she might  _actually_  kill her.

But most of it was from the crushing reality of what she'd just done.

_I kissed Ruby. I just kissed- oh, Dust, I just kissed her, right in front of Weiss! And Yang saw…_

As her breathing quickened, she ran a hand through her hair, right over her ear-

_My ears._

Her hands flew to the top of her head, clamping over the damning appendages.

 _My bow. That's right, Ruby… No, I_ made _Ruby… that means Weiss… Yang, too… they saw…_

Blake slid down the door, the truth sinking in. Tears trailed down her face.

 _I… I lost it. I lost control. They…_  Blake's eyes scoured the bathroom. No windows or other doors, no vents she could squeeze through.

A small, humorless laugh passed her lips.  _I can't run this time. There's nowhere to go. I-I have to tell them. They're going to know. They're going to look at me like…_

She sobbed.

_Like I'm an animal._

It was still there. Even now, the fire, the heat, the  _pain_ ; it surged through her. Except now, it wasn't a fantasy that fed the flames, it was a single, very real moment that replayed in her mind.

The moment Ruby's hand touched her skin, it was all over. After one hour ( _Dust damn it, just one hour_ ) of holding everything in, Ruby's touch was like a wrecking ball to her psyche. Her mind had gone blank, instinct taking over. All she could think about was Ruby's cool hand on her skin, the feeling of her fingers brushing through her hair. And when Ruby scratched her ears…

_I purred._

Blake buried her face in her hands.

She hadn't purred since she was a child, back when the White Fang actually stood for something. She couldn't have been older than… Dust, seven, eight? Young enough that a Faunus could get away with acting on their more instinctual feelings. That had stopped once life forced her to grow up.

Yet in her pent-up state, all it took Ruby was a brush of the hand and a few scratches to turn her into… into…

_A damn house cat._

She could have lived with that. If it had just stopped at the ears and the purring, Blake  _might_  have been able to salvage the situation, pass it off as some whim that had struck her. But no, oh no, that wasn't good enough for the cat. She had a taste for affection, and the greedy little feline had wanted more.

_I kissed Ruby, just blitzed her, right there in the dorm. I didn't ask, I didn't warn her, I just… went for it. Why… why'd I do that?... And why…_

_Why did she kiss me back?_

Blake smiled, despite herself. For a brief moment, she had felt it, the slight pressure as Ruby had leaned into the kiss. And for just a second, so sudden she thought she'd imagined it, the inferno had died down, faded to a comfortable warmth. She'd felt… content.

And then Yang tried to take her head off.

Blake's heart beat faster as she recalled that moment, the confusion, the horror, and then the pure, unadulterated  _fear_  as Yang marched towards her, eyes ablaze. Those eyes, so furious, boring into her soul as her form shook with rage, her wet hair glowing, her clothes hugging her damp form, showing off every curve-

Blake slammed her fists to her head.

_DAMN IT!_

Even terrified, that damn warmth screwed with her head.

It was getting unbearable. She was burning, aching,  _begging_  for it to stop, only for her body to heat further. A whimper escaped her lips, her breathing growing ragged.

_Can't… can't lose it again… have to… explain… Need to… focus…_

Her eyes drifted across the bathroom, finally resting on the shower.

_Need to… cool off…_

* * *

Weiss had given up.

What had been a surprisingly nice evening with her team had devolved into utter chaos in under an hour.

Things had been so quiet, peaceful even, as she had simply focused on her schoolwork, even getting Ruby to do the same for once. Blake was reading a book, Yang was in the shower, unable to annoy her for the time being. It was nearly perfect.

Then Blake slammed her book shut.

Weiss felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Had Blake looked like that the whole night? Ruby was right, she looked sick, downright feverish. Weiss had actually pulled out her scroll, ready to call the infirmary for help (even with the lockdown, someone could have done something).

But then things took a turn for the crazy. The moment Ruby touched Blake's forehead, it was like she'd become a different person. Or rather… a different creature.

Weiss had been around cats before. Her sister Winter had owned one for a number of years before it had passed away. So she recognized what Blake was doing, the gentle rubbing against Ruby's hand, the not-so-subtle request for affection. Well, actually, she hadn't recognized it at first. Not until she saw the ears.

That had been a shocker. Weiss knew they were there, but actually seeing them, two large, fur-covered cat ears poking out of Blake's hair; it suddenly made things seem a bit more real.

Her father's voice echoed in her mind, and she tried desperately to quash down the many memories of his rants and venting.

She very nearly said something, a biting retort on the situation which, in hindsight, would have been rather rude and insensitive. It was a knee-jerk reaction, a byproduct of living in the Schnee household, to belittle anything beyond the status quo. She still had to work on that, as the sight of Ruby scratching Blake's cat ears almost made her say something she knew she would have regretted. And she would have said it, too.

If Blake hadn't started purring.

Weiss couldn't help but stare as Blake rumbled, a smile gracing her lips. Weiss felt her lips quirk upwards a bit at the sight. Between the purring, her smile, and the almost kitten-like way she was acting, Blake actually looked kind of… cute.

Weiss felt her cheeks warm at the thought.  _She's probably older than me,_  she chided herself.  _I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate such a comment… or would she be offended if I_ didn't _find such actions completely normal?_

She pushed her thoughts aside. Working out her confusing feelings about Faunus could wait another day. They still needed to figure out why Blake was acting this way. She was feverish, if Ruby's exclamation was to be believed, and was most definitely acting out of character, even if her actions seemed rather harmless…

…

She's kissing Ruby.

…

SHE'S KISSING RUBY!

Weiss felt her mouth fall open, her mind grinding to a halt as she watched the impossible happen. Her cheeks reddened as Blake eagerly pressed her lips against the smaller girl. Ruby seemed just as stunned as Weiss, just standing there frozen. Just as the thought crossed Weiss' mind that she should help her partner, to stop Blake from doing what Ruby clearly wanted no part of…

_Is she kissing back?!_

Weiss' jaw fell further and her face grew redder as Ruby leaned forward, her jaw working slowly as she pressed closer to the Faunus. When Blake let out a small hum that sounded suspiciously like a moan, Weiss' brain finally shut down.

What little faculties she had left screamed at Weiss to turn away, if for nothing else than to give her teammates privacy, but she couldn't look away. She watched them kiss for what felt like an eternity, her heart rate increasing by the minute.

" _ **WHAT THE HELL?!"**_

Well,  _that_  snapped her out of it.

Weiss jumped nearly a foot at Yang's sudden yell, and found herself floundering backward once she caught sight of the crimson rage in Yang's eyes.

With the spell broken, Weiss took in the room with a clear head. Ruby seemed more confused than anything, a deep blush on her face as she looked at her sister. Blake, on the other hand, looked both terrified and horrified. She glanced quickly at Ruby, then at Yang, and then strangely, at Weiss. When their eyes met, Weiss' heart skipped a beat.

_That look in her eye. That's the same look she had last month. Like she'd been found out. Like she was scared._

Weiss barely registered the gust of wind that blew past her, only catching the slightest glimpse of black as the bathroom door slammed shut.

They all stared at the door for a second before Yang let out a growl.

"Oh, no you don't! Not this time, Belladonna! You get your ass out here right now!" Yang started towards the door.

Ruby rushed in front of her, rose petals floating around her. "Yang, wait!"

Yang paused for a second, frowning down at her sister, before glaring back at the door. "Outta my way, Ruby."

"Yang, just wait for-"

"Did you ask?"

Ruby blinked at the question. "Wha-?"

"Did you… ask her… to kiss you?" Yang's red eyes stared into Ruby's, her face unsettlingly calm.

Ruby blushed, stammering. "W-well, um… n-not… not exactly…"

Yang nodded. "Yep, I'm gonna break her." She pushed past Ruby, only to be blocked again.

"Yang, just-"

"'Just' what, Ruby?!" Yang's sudden yell made both Ruby and Weiss jump. The blonde stared down at Ruby, face flushed in anger. "I get out of the shower and the first thing I see is my  _partner_  mackin' on my little sister! I mean, what the hell got into her to think that was in any way okay? Give me one reason I shouldn't bust down that door and beat her into-"

"I think Blake's sick!"

Yang paused mid-word, her arms still up from flailing in her rant. "'Scuze me?"

Seeing that Yang stopped, Ruby rushed ahead. "See, after the movie, I saw that Blake was acting kinda funny, so I watched her for a while before she threw her book down and I saw that she was all red and sweaty and was really tense, so I went over to her and I felt her forehead and she was really, really warm, so I asked if she was okay, and then she started acting kinda weird and rubbing on me, and then her cat ears popped out, so I scratched them and she started purring, which was  _really_  cute, but then she looked at me and her eyes got all slanty, and then she kissed me and it felt really nice, andthenIkissedbackthencameoutandImmabequietnow…" She trailed off, her eyes on the ground, her cheeks red.

Weiss and Yang just stared at her for a moment, before Yang tilted her head to the side in confusion, red eyes dimming back down to lavender. "Uh… what?"

Weiss shook her head at the two before elaborating. "Ruby noticed that Blake was acting odd and went to check on her. Blake kind of…  _froze_  when Ruby touched her and then started acting like…" She paused, unsure what to say.

"Like…" Yang asked.

Weiss shifted uncomfortably. "Well… for lack of a better word… she was acting like a cat."

Yang's eyes widened, before narrowing dangerously. "You wanna rephrase that, Princess?"

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh, anticipating that kind of reaction to her words. "Believe me, I would if I could, but that's truly how she was acting! When Ruby checked her for a fever, Blake started rubbing against her like a cat begging for attention. And when Ruby scratched her ears…"

"Huh?" Yang turned back to Ruby, who shrugged. "It was all I could think of…"

"...she started purring."

"Wait, what?" Yang snapped back to Weiss. "Purring? As in… actually purring?"

Weiss nodded. "Just like a cat would, yes. Exact same sound. And the, well… you saw…"

Yang looked between the two, before staring at the bathroom door. "So… there's actually something wrong with Blake? She just didn't suddenly get the hots for Ruby?"

Weiss and Ruby blushed at her bluntness. "As far as we can tell."

"Oh," Yang said, the last remaining bits of her anger fading away. Then she looked concerned. "So, what's wrong with her?"

"We don't know. We didn't get that far."

"I don't think she knows what she was doing."

Weiss and Yang turned to the leader, still staring at the ground.

"What do you mean, Rubes?" Yang asked.

"Well," Ruby started awkwardly. "When you… broke us up… she looked… kinda confused… like she didn't know where she was."

Weiss frowned. "Like she was in a trance or something?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. Her eyes went back to normal, and then she looked… scared."

"Well, I was kinda pissed." Yang rubbed her neck with a sheepish smile on her face.

To their surprise, Ruby shook her head, frowning. "No, it was before she saw you. I think… I think she was scared of me." She looked up to meet their stunned faces. "Of what she'd done with me."

They fell silent as that sunk in. Then Weiss had a thought, pulling out her scroll.

"What are you doing, Princess?" Yang asked.

Ignoring the nickname, Weiss started typing. "I'm pulling up a medical database my family owns."

"You have a medical database?" Ruby asked.

Weiss paused, then continued typing. "Long story. I'm thinking that maybe if I type in Blake's symptoms, at least the ones we know about, it could give us an idea of what's going on with her."

"Oh…" Yang and Ruby droned, then rushed to Weiss' side to watch her progress. Weiss blushed at feeling the sisters lean against her before she finished typing.

_...fever, sweating, animalistic tendencies, need for affection, loss of memory… that should do it. Search._

They watched as a little progress bar at the top of the screen fill up, followed by red text taking up the screen.

_**0 results found** _

"What?!" Weiss practically screamed. "This is the most advanced, up-to-date medical server in the Kingdoms! It has every illness known to man, from natural to drug induced! How can there be nothing?!"

Just as Weiss was about to call up the company and complain to whatever idiot was in charge, Yang spoke. "Hey, you said your family owns this database, right?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, confused by her question. "Yes, why?"

"Would they have anything on Faunus specific illnesses?"

Weiss opened her mouth to berate her (of course they would!), but stopped when she realized… her family owned the database.

Weiss' head dipped down at the realization. A cold feeling grew inside her, one she had begun feeling increasingly often in the last month: shame.

"No... " she said softly. "They wouldn't." Without another word, she copied the symptoms she had typed into the database and opened the seldom-used internet browser on her scroll. She pasted them into the search bar and hit enter.

At the top of the page, a link to a medical site said:  **Faunus Estrous Cycle**.

Weiss clicked on it. After reading a few paragraphs, all three were blushing.

"Well… that explains it." Yang said after a moment.

Ruby tilted her head to the side. "So… Blake wants to have our babies?"

" _ **RUBY!**_ " Weiss screeched, aghast, as Yang howled with laughter.

Ruby blushed deeper, looking back at the ground. "Well, that's what it sounds like…"

Weiss cleared her throat, her cheeks still tinted. "Yes, well… um…" She trailed off, staring towards the bathroom door.

Yang, having finally calmed down, followed her gaze. "Yeah, that about sums it up. So… what now?"

Weiss shrugged awkwardly. "Talk to her, I suppose?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Well,  _yeah_ , no duh. I mean, what do we say to her?"

"Well, make sure our suspicions are correct, of course," Weiss said, attempting to be mature. "Then, we'll… um… try and help her?"

Yang gave Weiss a weird look. "Uh, help her as in…?"

It took Weiss a moment before she understood Yang's implication. "Wha- no! No nononono, that's not what I… I-I mean, I… I-I didn't mean to imply… I wasn't suggesting…"

Despite the situation, Yang struggled not to bust up as Weiss blushed and stuttered through her denial of any 'suggestive activities'. She was just about to lose it when Ruby spoke.

"Hey, guys?" They both turned to her. "Hasn't she been in there for a while?"

Yang blinked. Actually… yeah, Blake had been locked in the bathroom for quite some time.

_Well, Princess does have a point. We should at least talk to her._

Yang walked up to the door and knocked softly. "Hey, Blake?" When she didn't get an answer, she continued. "Hey, I'm sorry for freaking out on you. I'm calmer now. Can you come out?"

When no answer came, she looked back at the others. Ruby and Weiss stared back, concerned. Yang knocked again, harder. "Blake? You okay in there?" Yang put her ear to the door. She could hear the shower running, but that was it. Strangely, the door felt cool to the touch. "Blake?"

Still no response.

Getting worried, Yang tried the handle. Still locked. She stared at the door, before sighing.

"Guess I'm paying for a new door," she mumbled under her breath. Then she raised her voice. "Blake! I'm coming in!" With all her strength, she threw her shoulder into the door, easily breaking the frame. Finally inside, she said, "Blake, are you…?"

Yang's voice caught in her throat as she looked towards the shower.

Blake was curled in on herself in the corner of the shower, fully clothed. The water beat down on her flushed skin relentlessly, soaking her sleeping robe. Her arms were thrown over her head, her whole body tense. She was shivering.

"Blake!" Yang yelled as she ran across the room, nearly slipping on the wet tiles. She reached for the shower knobs, flinching as the ice cold water hit her. Once the water stopped, she knelt beside Blake, putting her hands on her shoulders.  _She's freezing!_  "Blake?"

Blake looked up through her arms, and Yang was stunned at the wet, slitted eyes staring back at her. The amber orbs widened when she saw the blonde.

"Y-Yang?" Her voice was so quiet. Yang frowned at her stutter. The Faunus was shivering so bad, Yang could hear her teeth chattering.

She snapped her head towards the doorway, where Weiss and Ruby stared in shock. "Ruby!" Yang barked, snapping the sniper back to attention. "Get some towels!"

Ruby took one more look at Blake, before nodding. "Right!" she yelled, before dashing over to the closet.

Yang turned back to Blake, who was staring at her through the gap in her arms. When Yang tried to touch her arms, she flinched away. "No! Y-Yang you can't… I-I'm not…"

"Blake, you're freezing. You gotta get out of here." Yang tried to pull the girl up, but Blake wouldn't budge.

"I-I can't… Y-you… you don't understand…"

"I think I do." Blake's head snapped up, terror in her eyes. Yang felt her heart twist at the sight. "And I ain't gonna let you turn yourself into a popsicle if I can help it." Before Blake could respond, Yang yelled behind her. "Ruby, where are those-"

"Right here!" Ruby materialized in front of her, holding a stack of white towels. Yang grabbed the one on top and was about to use it before she noticed a problem. "Uh… okay. Blake, I'm really sorry, and please don't hate me for this."

"W-wha…?" Blake stuttered out, before Yang gripped her arms.

With one motion, Yang pulled Blake's arms apart, leaving Blake exposed. Moving quickly, Yang then grabbed the front of blakes robe and pulled. A wet  _RIP!_  echoed through the room.

Blake blinked, suddenly finding herself clad only in her wet bra and panties, sitting in the shredded remains of her robe.

From the doorway, Weiss let out a squawk of indignation. "Yang, you do  _not_  just do that!"

Before Blake could fully react, she felt softness envelope her as Yang wrapped the towel around her torso, then doing the same with her legs.

Blake looked down in confusion at the towel, before staring back up at Yang.

"Better?" Yang asked, a nervous smile on her lips.

Blake tried to say something, but her voice caught in her throat. Yes, this felt  _so_  much better than the ice shower she'd subjected herself to, but without the cold water beating down on her, she could feel the warmth coming back, not helped by the fact that Yang was  _so close_.

"Y-Yang, I-" she tried, but Yang pressed her index finger to her lips.

"Shh," she shushed with a stern expression. "Let's get out of here before we talk."

Blake jumped as Yang suddenly put her arms under her and lifted. Blake shuddered as she was suddenly wrapped in Yang's very warm embrace, the blonde carrying her across and out of the room, past a very concerned looking Weiss and Ruby.

Inside her, the fire roared.


	4. Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/4/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

**Chapter 4: Acceptance**

"Okay, Blake. Start talking."

Blake's eyes flitted to Yang, before staring back at her hands. Yang had placed her on her bed, still wrapped in towels, before taking a seat in the desk chair, sitting backwards with her arms folded on the backrest. Weiss sat on the edge of her bed, while Ruby settled for sitting cross-legged on the floor near Blake's bed. All three stared at her, waiting for an answer.

Blake pulled the towel around her tighter. "I'm... " She took a shaky breath.  _Just get it over with_. "I'm in heat," she whispered out, unable to look at any of them.

The room was silent, Blake waiting for the pin to drop. Any second now, it would happen, the anger, the disgust, the utter revulsion a the realization of exactly what she was, what that entailed. Blake closed her slitted eyes, tears welling up as she waited for the rejection…

"Well, we kinda figured that."

Blake's eyes flew open at Yang's dismissive tone. She saw the blonde giving her a troubled look, frowning slightly. "W-what?" she asked hesitantly.

Yang jerked her chin towards Weiss. "You had us worried, so Princess looked up how you were acting on the web. Wasn't that hard."

Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes. "At least I thought of something…" she mumbled, before looking at Blake. "Why didn't you tell us?" she asked.

Blake flinched at the question, despite Weiss' soft tone, or at least soft for her. She looked into Weiss' eyes and, to her awe, saw only worry. She turned to Yang, then Ruby, only to see more of the same.

"You… you're not mad?"

The reaction she got was nothing like she expected. If anything, it looked like  _they_  were the shocked ones now.

"Mad?" Yang said incredulously. "Why would we be mad? Blake, what's going on?"

"What reason would we have to be mad at you for this? It's not like you can help it." Weiss crossed her arms, frowning.

Blake only stared in disbelief, not knowing how to respond.

Ruby, who had been quiet up until now, asked, "Blake, are you.. Scared of us?"

All of them turned towards Ruby, who was biting her lip nervously.

"What? What do you mean, Rubes? She ain't scared of us, right Blake?" Yang turned towards Blake with a smile on her face, only to falter when Blake dipped her head down, pulling at the towel. "Right?"

Blake was silent, not looking at anyone. Weiss gave a huff, before turning to her scroll, thinking maybe the web page could give her further insight, when Blake's broken voice reached her ears.

"Yes," she whispered, her cat ears pinning back against her head. "Yes, I'm scared."

Ruby scooted a little closer, confused. "Why?" she asked softly.

Blake kept her head down as she went on. "I'm not human." Weiss and Yang's eyes widened at her tone, while Ruby just tilted her head. "I-I act like I am, I hide my ears, I slow myself down, I… I try to keep myself as…  _normal_  as possible, so no one will notice that there's anything different between a human and a Faunus. But…" She cleared her throat as her voice grew thicker, a tear sliding down her cheek. "...but there is."

"Blake…" Ruby whispered, eyes wide.

Blake didn't hear her as she continued, her voice cracking. "The way… the way I act and… the way I  _want_  to act. The little whims, just… random things I feel every now and then, that I just force myself to ignore, so that everyone will think I'm normal. And then…  _this!_ " she hissed out, looking down at herself in contempt, at her reddened skin and slight sweating. The fire was in full force, burning at her insides. The only thing keeping her from acting on the feelings was the distraction of her teammates, though she knew that would only last so long.

Blake's anger burnt itself out quickly, leaving only sadness in its wake. Tears flowed down her face. "I just… you all know I'm a Faunus, and… and I know you're telling the truth when you say you don't care, but… I just keep waiting for the day you realize how different I am… and…"

"And?" Ruby asked.

"...and start to hate me."

Silence filled the room once again as she gave up. She cried silently, tears flowing freely as she took shaky breaths.

"Nope."

Blake looked up and nearly flinched when she found Ruby right in front of her.

"W-what?"

"Nope," Ruby repeated, before throwing her arms around the Faunus.

Blake froze as Ruby clung tightly to her, pulling her close so that the leader's chin rested on her shoulder. "R-Ruby?!"

"We could never hate you."

Blake's eyes widened.

"You're our friend, Blake. We don't care that you're a Faunus, whether you're normal or not. You're a member of our team, and we trust you with our lives. We love you."

Fresh tears sprung from Blake's eyes. "R-Ruby…"

Strong, warm arms suddenly wrapped around the both of them.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Little Sis. Sorry, Blake. You couldn't make us hate you if you tried." Yang smiled brightly as she gave Blake a squeeze.

Blake stared back, tears flowing. "Yang…"

A weight settled onto the bed next to her, making Blake turn to the side. Weiss was sitting next to her, head pointed down.

"You told me you were once a member of the White Fang, the organization that's been making my family's lives, and by extension  _my life_ , a living hell." She turned to Blake, her eyes soft. "If  _that_  couldn't make me hate you, what makes you think this could?"

Blake was dumbfounded. "Weiss…"

The heiress put a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. "Ruby's right. You are my friend." She smiled. "Nothing can change that."

"Aw no you don't, get in here!" Yang suddenly grabbed Weiss' wrist and pulled, forcing the heiress' arm to go over Blake's shoulder with an " _eep!_ " Weiss glared at the blonde, who just grinned back, making Weiss roll her eyes and put her other arm around Ruby, completing the group hug.

Blake looked around at the three girls around her, all smiling, all giving her comfort.

 _The don't hate me,_  she thought, her lips slowly shifting into a smile.  _They accept me. They… love me._

Slowly, Blake wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist, the only one she could reach around, making Ruby squeeze her harder as Blake buried her face into the leader's shoulder.

Blake sank into the embrace, feeling the safety and acceptance of her team around her. She hummed in contentment as their bodies pressed against her. Their warm, soft bodies…

Her eyes snapped open.

_Oops…_

"Um, guys?" she said hesitantly. The three pulled back, looking at her questioningly. "I really appreciate this, but, um… you're making me kind of… warm…"

It took a full five seconds for her words to register before all three of them flew back, blushing.

"Oh, crap, I forgot about that!"

"I-I-I didn't intend to- I didn't mean to-"

"Sorry, Blake!"

If the circumstances had been different, Blake would have burst out laughing at how flustered her team was, all blushing and trying to look anywhere but at Blake.

Unfortunately, the roaring, buring, rather  _frustrated_  fire inside her kept her silent.

Everyone shifted awkwardly, until Yang broke the silence. "So… what do we do about this?"

Blake shook her head. "I don't know. I usually have some medicine that… helps me through this… but I'm all out."

"Oh, well, maybe someone else on campus has some you an borrow." Ruby suggested.

"I thought of that. That's actually what I was going to check earlier, but…"

"The lockdown," Yang realized, rubbing her neck. "Well crap. Any other ideas?"

Blake shrugged.

"Um…" Weiss started, sporting a blush. "Forgive my…  _bluntness_ , but couldn't you just… take care of the problem yourself?"

Blake blushed at her meaning, as did Yang and Ruby. "No, I can't. A Faunus' heat affects both the body and the mind. For that route to work, I would need a… partner."

Awkward silence reigned as the implications of her statement sank in, Yang's blush deepening a bit at her wording. Blake wracked her brain for an alternative, or at least as much as she could with her heat-frazzled mind.

"Umm… is that an option?"

All eyes turned towards Ruby, whose face was as red as her cloak.

"Ruby?" Blake asked.

Ruby shifted in place, swallowing slightly. "If you need a partner…"

Blake looked at her in confusion, before her mouth popped open.  _Did she just suggest…?_

"Wha- NO!" Yang suddenly shouted, putting herself between Blake and Ruby. "Nonononono. Hell no! Don't even think about it!"

"What? Blake said it would work," Ruby said, pouting slightly.

"I don't freaking care! You are not shagging Blake! Especially when I'm stuck in the room with you!"

Weiss finally seemed to have caught on to the conversation. "Wait, do you mean-? No! I mean… I don't… I…" She trailed off as her face turned redder and redder.

Blake stared at Ruby with wide eyes, a sharp denial on her lips despite the fire inside her roaring in approval. She appreciated the sentiment, but there was no way she could let Ruby-

"Well, do you have a better idea?!"

Ruby's angry yell made Yang stop shouting and take a step back in surprise. Weiss and Blake stared at her in shock. They'd never seen Ruby mad before.

The room silent, Ruby took a deep breath. She then turned to Blake. "Blake, you said you needed a partner?"

Blake, still in shock, nodded slightly. "Y-yes?"

"And you're sure it would help you with your heat?"

Blake stammered her response. "W-well, yeah, but Ruby-"

Ruby just gave her an awkward smile, before turning back to Yang. " _Do_  you have any other ideas?" she asked honestly.

Yang looked down at her little sister, looking lost. "N-no, but-"

Ruby turned her head towards Weiss, the same question in her eyes. All Weiss could do was shake her head.

She glanced back at Blake, before staring up at Yang. Yang held her stare before letting out a sigh.

"Ruby… don't you remember the talk we had? You know… the big one?"

Ruby nodded. "Yes, I do. You said I should save my first time for someone I love and trust."

"Yeah, and-"

"I love Blake," Ruby said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world, making Blake blush. "I trust her, too."

Yang's eyebrow twitched, looking irritated. "That is  _not_  what I meant and you know it."

Ruby shrugged. "So? I'd rather it be with Blake than someone I don't know as well. And it's to help her, too."

Yang struggled for something to say. "Ruby... " she huffed. "You…"

Blake finally found her voice. "Ruby, I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't let you do this. Especially if it's your first time. You need to save that for someone special."

"You're special," Ruby replied bluntly, tilting her head in confusion.

"A-are we really talking about this?" Weiss interjected, still red-faced. "I-I feel like things are getting a bit out of hand."

Ruby let out a sigh. "Look, Blake, you said this would pass in the morning?" Blake nodded, before Ruby looked towards the clock on the desk. "Well, morning is nine hours away. So, our choices are either Blake stays like this all that time, or…" She trailed off, her face turning red.

Blake searched for something,  _anything_  she could say to dissuade Ruby, but her frazzled mind could think of nothing.

Yang looked back and forth between her sister and her partner. "I… you…" She turned to Weiss, who could only offer a helpless shrug, just as lost as her. Yang let out a growl of frustration. "Augh! Okay! Okay, okay, let's just… step back and look at the facts." She stared pacing, her hands moving as she spoke. "Blake is in heat. She's all out of medicine. We are locked in the room, no way to leave. Only way we can think to help is…" She looked at Ruby. "Is… ugh! Weiss, gimme that scroll!"

Yang practically ripped the scroll from Weiss' hands, surprising the heiress, who fell back on her bed.

Yang kept pacing about the room, skimming through the web page from where they'd stopped before.  _There's gotta be_ something _in here… increase in body temperature… increased desire for affection… phantom pain…_

_Wait, what was that last part?_

Yang reread the portion of article, but as she read further, her pacing slowed to a stop.

_**...when a female Faunus is at the height of her heat, her body temperature can reach a high of one hundred and two to one hundred and four degrees. It is at this point that the body will be at its most receptive. During intercourse, the Faunus' brain will release a specific type of endorphin to help regulate body heat. If these endorphins are not released, the Faunus runs the risk of overheating, and in some cases, phantom pains that will persist until their heat has passed…** _

Yang looked up from the scroll. Her worried eyes landed on Blake, who stared back with slitted eyes. Her face had grown redder, a visible tremble in her shoulders. Her ears were pinned against her head. Her breath was choppy.

_She won't make it til morning. It'd be hell._

Yang took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through her nose. "Ohh… this is gonna be a weird night."

Ruby and Weiss looked at her, while Blake's eyes widened further.  _Is she…?_

"Okay, I'm… I'm on board with this."

"WHAT?!" Weiss screeched, jumping up for her bed. All eyes turned to the heiress, who looked back in utter shock, mouth gaping. "Yang, are you serious?! You  _and_  Ruby?! I don't even know where-"

She was cut off when Yang placed the scroll back in her hands. "Read," she said simply, tapping on the words she'd read.

Weiss looked at the scroll, eyes trailing quickly over the words, before coming to a stop. Weiss looked up at Yang, looking uncomfortable, before turning away and sitting back down.

Yang gave a nod before turning to Ruby. "Okay, Rubes, uh… I don't  _want_  to ask, but I kinda  _have_  to ask… do you even know how to… Dust I can't believe I'm saying this… Do you know how to have sex with another girl?" she asked with a blush.

Ruby blushed back, speaking quietly. "Um… yeah, kinda…"

Yang let out a breath. "Okay, well, that simplifies-" She cut herself off, a thought hitting her. "Wait,  _how_  do you know?"

Ruby's eyes widened before she looked away, mumbling.

"Excuse me?"

Ruby spoke just slightly louder, enough that Yang could make out… "...under bed… underneath old jacket… magazines…"

Yang blinked, then facepalmed. "I thought one of those went missing." She took another breath. "Well then, Blake, what do you think?"

Blake, having watched and heard everything from her bed, just stared, her gaze flickering between Yang and Ruby.

 _They… they really…? No, I-I can't. It's not…_  She flinched as a sudden burst of heat ripped through her. She was nearly at a breaking point.

She looked to Ruby, then to Yang. Both looked back, small smiles, nervous but genuine, on their lips.

"You… you sure?" she asked, the words slipping out before she could think to stop them.

The sisters glanced at each other, before nodding. "Yeah, we're sure." her lips quirked upwards. "Who knows? Could be fun." Yang looked back at Weiss. "What about you, Snowflake?"

Blake turned her gaze to Weiss, who was looking at the wall, chewing a thumbnail. Her eyes flicked towards Blake, lingering for a long second before looking away, face flushed.

"I… can I just think about this for a bit?" she said quickly before staring into Yang's eyes. "Please?" she asked softly.

After a moment, Yang nodded. "It's your choice. Not like you got drafted or something."

Weiss nodded back, grabbing her scroll as she made her way towards the bathroom. "Sorta feels like it, though," she mumbled under her breath as she closed the door.

The three stared after her, before turning back. "So…" Ruby started awkwardly, "...how do we do this?"

Yang shrugged. "Do what feels natural, I guess. So, Blake, which of us lovely ladies gets the first honor?" She smirked slightly, her usual mirth coming back.

Blake blushed as her heat soared to new heights, heart thumping in her chest.  _This is really happening,_  she thought. She did note that Ruby seemed a lot more nervous than Yang.

She smiled, Yang's humor seeping into her. "Well, seeing as Ruby got to kiss me already…" she said, giving Yang a look.

Yang took the hint, leaning in as Blake let the towel slip from her shoulders.

The last thing she felt before reason left her was Yang's soft lips against hers, the fire slowly calming down.


	5. Thaw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/5/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

_Wow…_

Blake stared up at Yang's bunk as the memories flooded back. A smile grew across her face.

 _That… really happened._  She turned her head to look at Yang and Weiss, still slumbering in the morning light. She gazed down at Ruby, who shifted a little, nuzzling Blake's chest, making her blush.

_I wish I could remember._

One problem with dealing with her heat as she did was that her memories got hazier as the night went on. Everything past that first kiss with Yang was a blur.

A hot, happy, blush-inducing blur.

A flash of white appeared in her memory. She looked down at Weiss, who snored softly, her unkempt hair hiding half of her face. Like Ruby, she moved a bit, finding a comfortable place atop her blonde pillow.

 _I wonder how that happened?_  she thought, her last clear memory of Weiss being her hiding in the bathroom. Still, the sight made her smile. Seeing those two, usually at each other's throats, embracing each other in such a way left a warm feeling in her chest.

"...hmm…"

Blake looked down at Ruby's little noise. Instead of waking up like she'd thought, Ruby just raised her head slightly, giving Blake a view of her sleeping face, her lips curled in a smile.

A random thought entered her mind, and for once, Blake acted on it. Hesitantly, Blake gently placed her hand on Ruby's head, running her fingers through the girl's short hair. Seeing the smile widen at her touch, Blake kept it up, gently massaging Ruby's scalp, as soft smile on her lips.

"Enjoying yourself, Blake?"

Blake froze. She slowly swiveled her head towards the voice.

Yang just grinned smugly at her, eyebrow raised above her open eyes.

Blake blushed at being caught. "I… um…"

Yang's grin faded to a reassuring smile. "Relax, kitty-cat," she whispered so as not to wake their still sleeping teammates. "I'm just messing with ya. You feeling better now?"

Blake relaxed, now assured that Yang wouldn't put her through a wall for touching her little sister. "Yeah, I feel much better now."

That was an understatement. Blake felt incredible. Most mornings after her heat, she'd wake up with a stiff body and a pounding head, like a bad hangover. Now, though, she felt amazing, warm and content in the morning light.

Yang nodded. "Good," she said softly. "That's good." Her gaze dropped a little, her smile growing slightly melancholy as she looked at Ruby, still snoring away.

Blake followed her gaze, noticing that she still had her hand on the leader's head. She removed it, before turning her attention back to the blonde. "Yang? Something wrong?"

Yang blinked rapidly,breaking from her trance as she looked back to Blake. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing, just…" Her eyes fell back to Ruby, smiling again. "I knew Ruby was going to grow up someday." She let out a brief chuckle. "Just didn't think I'd get a front row seat when it happened."

Blake's eyes widened, regret worming into her chest. "Yang, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't even try it, Kitty-cat," Yang interrupted, a serious look in her eyes. " _You_  didn't do anything. It was her choice." Then a grin formed on her lips. "And weirdly enough… I'm kinda proud of her. How screwed up does that sound?"

Blake tried to smile back, but now doubt was working its way into her mind. She glanced to both Ruby and Weiss. Worrying thoughts formed in her head. She turned to Yang. "Um… I didn't… hurt any of you last night… did I?"

Yang gave her a shocked, then a very confused look. "What, you don't remember?"

To her surprise, Blake shook her head. "When a Faunus gives in to their heat, we pretty much go off of pure instinct. I remember everything up to… well… our first kiss," she blushed slightly, "and then it's all a blur."

Yang frowned. "Well, that sucks. You don't remember anything?"

Blake thought hard. Brief glimpses of lips and touches flashed by, but nothing lasting. However, she did feel one thing.

"Happy," she said with a smile. "The whole night I remember being really happy."

Yang snorted. "That's an understatement," she muttered, causing Blake to blush deeper. Obviously,  _her_  memory was just fine. "No, you didn't hurt any of us. If anything, you were kind of… timid."

Blake's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Yang thought for a moment. "Well, it was kinda like you were just following our lead."

Blake's ears folded back a bit. "How so?"

"Like, with me, you were kinda aggressive, you didn't hold back and neither did I." Her cheeks tinted slightly at the mental image. "But with Ruby… you were hesitant… you wanted for her to do something first, then you did the same. Does that make any sense?"

Blake thought for a moment. Then…

* * *

_She pulled her lips away from Ruby's. Her ears folded back, a frown forming as she felt the uneasiness rolling off of Ruby._

_Ruby looked up at her from the bed, her throat moving as she swallowed nervously._

_Blake tilted her head, then she smiled. She grasped Ruby by the shoulders and fell on her side. With a small huff, she pulled Ruby on top of her._

_Ruby blinked, suddenly finding their positions flipped. She looked down at Blake questioningly._

_Blake just leaned up and rubbed her cheek against Ruby's. She laid back down, placing her arms on her side._

_Ruby's eyes flickered to the side. "Wha-what do I do?"_

_Yang's voice came from off to the side. "Whatever you think would make her feel good, Sis."_

_Ruby hesitated, before bringing her lips to Blake's neck. Blake let out a small coo at the feeling. Ruby pulled back quickly, concerned. "W-was that okay?"_

_Blake just smiled, nodding. She showed her neck in invitation._

_Ruby smiled back nervously, before kissing Blake's neck again._

* * *

Blake smiled at the memory. "Yeah, I think it does." She turned her attention to the head of white laying on Yang's chest. "So, how did that happen?"

Yang followed her gaze, a soft smile forming. "Well…"

* * *

_I'm going to sue whoever made these earplugs._

Weiss stared down at her scroll, having read yet another article on Faunus mating habits. Just like all the others, this one was just a reworded version of the exact same information. She started typing again, searching for more information-

" _Ooohhh, Blaaaake!"_

Weiss' neverending blush deepened yet again.

_Yes, definitely suing. Every single infernal Lien they have._

For what felt like hours, Weiss had tried to tune out the muffled cries and moans coming from behind the wall. Emphasis on  _tried_. Even with the simple earplugs she'd found in the medicine cabinet, she could hear every sound, every time the moan of Blake's name alternated from Yang to Ruby. And it was starting to get to her.

 _I wonder what it's like,_  she thought, not for the first time.

Yet again, she felt the impulse to open the door, to give in to curiosity, and yet again, she forced herself to stay sitting, her father's voice echoing in her head.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she returned to her scroll. Maybe if I reword the question…

_Click!_

Weiss was jolted from her thoughts as the bathroom door creaked open. Turning in surprise, she looked up at the intruder.

Yang stumbled into the bathroom, a dopey smile on her face. Her hair was disheveled, as was the tank top she'd haphazardly thrown on. Blake's towel was wrapped around her waist.

Weiss blushed at the look on her face, before turning away. "Yang, what are you doing in here?"

Yang blinked at her voice, looking down. "Ah, geez, sorry Weiss. Kinda forgot you were in here."

With a frown, Weiss pulled out the useless earplugs. "What do you mean you forgot?" she hissed indignantly.

Yang rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Well, I was kinda… preoccupied."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "I'm well aware of  _that_ ," she muttered. She looked at Yang from the corner of her eye. "So, um…" she started nervously, "Are you three… finished?"

The question surprised Yang. "Uh…" She poked her head out of the bathroom, her eyes falling on Blake's bed. Blake and Ruby were curled up together, the blankets just barely hiding their modesty. Ruby was humming softly as she scratched lazily at Blake's ears, who just lapped up the attention. Feeling her gaze, Blake slid one eye open, a hungry look in her slitted eye as she smiled.

Yang grinned back before returning to Weiss, closing the door. "Nah, we're just taking a breather. I thought I'd just take a quick rinse-off." She made her way to the shower. "That okay?"

"Um... " Weiss stuttered before turning away as Yang discarded her tank-top. "S-sure." She kept her eyes to the side as she heard the towel hit the floor and the water turn on.

Weiss was fully intent on just keeping her head down the whole time, until Yang started talking. "So, what have you been doing in here?"

Weiss chanced to look up, and was thankful that Yang had closed the shower curtain, leaving only a fuzzy outline of her body. "Just… waiting for you all to get done," she muttered.

The outline tilted its head. "Oh, so that's a 'no' on joining in?"

Weiss shoved down an indignant splutter, settling instead for feigned indifference. "You all seem to be doing fine on your own."

Even blurred, Weiss could just  _feel_  Yang roll her eyes. "Ugh, fine, I'll shut up."

A minute or so passed, the only sound that of falling water. Weiss tried to focus on her scroll, but without meaning to, her eyes kept straying towards the shower.

"So, uh…"

Weiss closed her mouth with an audible  _click!_  The words had fallen out without a thought, and Weiss didn't even know what question she'd been about to ask. She just hoped that Yang hadn't heard her.

"Yeah?"

_Drat._

"Um…" Weiss struggled for a thought, many questions popping into her head as she tried to find one that wasn't inappropriate. Though given the circumstances… "Is everything… going okay?"

Yang chuckled behind the curtain. " _I_  think so. And from the way Blake looked just a bit ago, I think she'd agree with me."

Weiss blushed.  _Well, I knew_ that _. Stupid earplugs._  "And… Ruby? She's doing okay?"

Yang's form froze for a second before giving an odd laugh. "Yeah, she's fine. Quick learner, too. A little too quick…" She muttered the last part before trailing off.

A sudden thought struck Weiss, suddenly feeling as if all of her blood had rushed to her face. Pushing it away, she instead asked, "Isn't it a little…  _awkward_ … y'know…"

"Doing it with my partner while my little sister watches?" Yang supplied as she shut off the shower. "Yes, Weiss, it's awkward as all hell."

Weiss fell silent, guessing Yang was a bit more volatile at the moment than she thought. "Sorry…" she mumbled.

After a moment, she heard Yang sigh. "It's not your fault. I'm just… coming to grips that my little sister ain't so little anymore."

Weiss swallowed down her nerves as Yang reached out of the curtain searching for her towel. "But… she is alright, right? Like… she's enjoying herself?"

Yang stopped at her tone. She poked her head out of the curtain and looked at Weiss. Weiss was still sitting against the wall, staring off to the side. Her face was beet red, but her expression… rather than embarrassment like she'd figured, Weiss seemed more nervous and curious than anything else. "Why do you ask?"

Weiss shifted her weight a little, looking uncomfortable. "Well… she said this is her first time, and… I was just… making sure it was going… well…"

Yang frowned. This was new. Weiss always spoke very clearly whenever she had something to say. The only times she didn't was when she was flustered or really angry, and in those instances, she was always  _loud_. But this… Yang had never heard her stumble over her words like this, especially with how  _quiet_  she was, almost mumbling.

Making a quick decision, Yang wrapped herself in the towel and stepped out. Weiss didn't notice she was moving until Yang sat down on the floor right next to her. "Yang, what-"

"Spill."

Weiss flinched at the commanding tone. "Wha-what-?"

"Something's knocking around in that high-class head of yours," Yang said with a raised eyebrow. "So if you want to talk to somebody, now's the chance. So, spill."

Weiss stared at her before turning away, indignant. "I have no idea what you're…"

She trailed off when she saw Yang's unimpressed look out of the corner of her eye. After a moment, her resolve crumbled. "It's… stupid," she sighed.

Yang let out a soft chuckle. "I'll be the judge of that. So…?"

Weiss was quiet, staring down at her hands as she twiddled with her fingers. "Is this… normal for you?"

Yang couldn't help but scoff. "Uh, a three-way involving my sister? Yeah, Weiss,  _totally_  normal."

To her surprise, Weiss just shook her head, her face scrunching up in concentration. "No, I mean... " She glanced at Yang before averting her gaze. "...being with a girl."

Yang blinked.  _Ooohhhh…_  "For me? Yeah, pretty much."

Weiss was taken aback by her bluntness. "R-really?"

Yang shrugged at her. "Well, yeah. Boys never really held an interest for me, y'know? I mean, they're fun to hang out with every now and then, but attractiveness? Eh."

"Oh," was Weiss' only answer, staring back at her hands in thought.

Yang watched her for a minute, watching the nervous energy roll off of her. "So… what about you?"

Weiss swallowed. "It's… complicated."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, see, everyone always says that until they actually say things out loud. Talk to me, Snowflake, you into chicks or d-?"

"Just-!" Weiss cut her off with an indignant squeak before deflating. "Look, I just… can't be."

Yang was confused. "'Can't'? Can't be… what?"

Weiss huffed, looking away. "I can't be… gay," she whispered.

Yang's frown deepened. "Okay, never heard  _that_  one before. 'Yes', 'no', 'I don't know', but I've never heard someone say they 'can't' be gay. Something wrong with liking girls?"

Weiss shook her head, frowning. "No… at least…  _I_  don't think so…"

Yang hummed, another piece of the puzzle clicking into place. "But, someone else does," she stated.

Weiss started, cursing her slip of the tongue. After a moment, she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath through her nose.  _Well, I've gone this far._  "It's… it's my father."

Yang stayed quiet, sensing a touchy subject. Instead, she just dipped her head towards Weiss, motioning her to continue.

Weiss hesitated, before continuing. "He's… very conservative. To him, there's the status quo, and that's it. Humans before Faunus… men with women. Anything that strays just a little bit outside the lines…"

Yang watched her as she fell silent. Then she looked around. Not seeing anything, she placed her hand above her eyes, squinting as she moved her head side to side.

Weiss looked at her like she was crazy. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for your dad," Yang said matter-of-factly. "Weird, I don't see him."

Weiss scowled at her, looking away. "I actually thought you were taking this seriously…"

She was cut off when Yang lightly (for Yang) bopped her on the head. She whipped around to see Yang frowning. "I am being serious. He ain't here. In fact, and correct me if I'm wrong, he's on another freaking continent right now, right?"

Weiss nodded, completely lost.

Yang smiled at her. "Well, then, he ain't here to tell you what to do. Complication un-complicated."

Weiss blinked, her face softening a bit. A look of hope crossed her features, before being smothered by a scowl. "Maybe in your world," she muttered.

Yang grimaced.  _O-kay, strike one._  She thought hard, looking for another way to make Weiss open up. "Well… how about this: hypothetically-"

"Ooh, big word," Weiss said mockingly.

Yang glare. "Shut it." She continued. "Hypothetically, let's pretend that your dad wasn't in the picture."

Weiss sighed. "Yang, he-"

"Ah ah ah!" she blocked her. "Pretending!"

Weiss rolled her eyes, relenting.

Yang went on. "If your dad wasn't a factor in this, whatsoever, which do you think you're attracted towards? Guys or girls?"

Weiss turned away, fully intending to ignore the question. As the silence stretched on, however, she glanced back at Yang. Rather than being frustrated like she'd assumed, Yang was simply looking at her, patiently waiting for an answer.

Weiss tried to ignore her, but as the seconds ticked by, the question kept repeating itself in her head. Finally, she gave up. Closing her eyes, she dipped her head down. "I… I never really thought about… I never let myself think about it," she clarified. "Not until tonight…"

Yang hummed at her words, hard at thought. "What about tonight?"

Weiss gave her an ' _are you stupid?_ ' look. "You three! We were having a normal night and then… Blake goes into heat and you and Ruby just… you made it seem so… simple."

Yang snorted, much to Weiss' surprise. "Yeah, wouldn't exactly call it  _simple_. Mind explaining?"

"You just... " Weiss struggled to put her thoughts into words. "You and Ruby argued, but… the fact that Blake was a girl… you didn't even mention it. You made it seem like such a non-issue."

Yang could only shrug. "Well, it kinda is… at least to me. Ruby too, apparently."

Weiss shook her head, bemused. "Well, it's not to me. I mean… I don't even know if I'm attracted to girls or boys or… I just don't know!" She nearly screamed in frustration.

Yang frowned at Weiss' outburst.  _Geez, this is really messing with her. How the heck do I-_

_**Ding!** _

Yang blinked.  _Huh. That could work. Or make things ten times worse… Eh, worth a shot._

"Hey, Weiss?" The heiress looked up, finding Yang smiling down at her. "I can think of an easy way to know if you like girls, at least."

Weiss gave her a wary look. "What?"

"Well…" Yang droned, leaning against Weiss a bit. "You could kiss me."

…

" _ **What?!"**_

Yang flinched away, ears ringing. "Ahh… simple 'no' woulda worked!"

"You, I, you, eh, uh… wha?" Meaningless sounds tumbled from Weiss' mouth as her eyes bugged out at the blonde.

Yang raised a brow at her, massaging her stinging ear. "It was just a thought. A quick kiss just to see if you were comfortable with a girl."

Weiss stumbled over her words for a reply. "B-but… me? Kiss you?"

Yang frowned a bit at her tone. "Well, you don't gotta say it like that."

Weiss' cheeks tinted. "S-sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I just… you want to kiss me?"

The blonde paused at the nervous quiver in her voice. "Well… yeah, I guess. Why, something wrong with that?"

The red darkened. "N-no, not really. But, um… why?"

Yang tilted her head, much like Ruby would. "Uh… why not? I just thought it would be a way to help you out."

Weiss frowned. "How would you kissing me help me in any way?"

"Makes sense to me. You don't like it, you don't like it. But if you do…" Yang shrugged. "What, is there something wrong with me? I could ask Ruby, if that'd make you more comfortable."

Weiss blushed deeper at the thought, pushing down the flustered feeling building inside her. "No, it's not you…"

"Then what? The thought of kissing a girl?"

"No, it's…" Weiss hesitated, then sighed. "It's because… I've never kissed anyone before. Ever."

Yang blinked. "Ever?"

"Ever."

"Oh," Yang said, turning away. She drummed her fingers on her knees. "Awkward," she mumbled.

The room went silent. Weiss' mind was a jumbled mess as she sifted through her thoughts.

_Kiss Yang? Preposterous. The very idea… although… no, it wouldn't work… though it might… what if I don't like it?... what if I do?... what would that mean?... Ah, ridiculous! How could one kiss mean anything anyway? It's not as if I feel anything for her…_

She glanced over at Yang. When Yang glanced back, she quickly turned away.

_Well… that's not entirely true… she's kind… if abrasive… she's protective… if a bit smothering… she's…_

She thought of the arm-punches, the fist bumps, the one-armed hugs Yang would subject her to on occasion, usually right out of the blue for no apparent reason. Her lips quirked a bit.

_She's affectionate… in her own way… and accepting… trusting…_

Her eyes flicked to Yang, to her lips.

_Maybe… just once…_

"Well!" Yang said suddenly as she moved to stand up, startling Weiss from her thoughts. "Sorry I wasn't much help to you, Snowflake. I better get back in there before Blake gets restless."

She was almost to her feet-

"Wait!"

Yang froze. Looking down, she saw Weiss' hand wrapped around her wrist, the heiress holding her head down so she couldn't see her eyes.

"Weiss?" Yang questioned.

"...just one kiss?"

The words were so soft Yang almost missed them. A smile slowly spread across her face. "Yeah, just one."

"...and if I say I don't like it… you'll stop?"

Yang slowly sat back down, moving her arm so Weiss' hand fell into her own "Just say the word."

Weiss swallowed nervously, turning to Yang. Her eyes shined with trepidation. "H-how exactly…?"

Yang laughed softly. "Just lean forward a bit. I'll do the rest."

Weiss hesitated, before leaning forward slowly,  _ever_  so slowly, closing her eyes.

Soft. That was surprising. Everything about Yang screamed strength, but when their lips connected, all Weiss could think about was how soft Yang's lips were against her own. Soft and  _warm_.

 _Well… it doesn't feel bad,_  Weiss thought as Yang moved her lips against her. She pressed forward slightly against the blonde.  _Actually, it's… rather nice._

Yang let out a small chuckle when she felt Weiss lean further into the kiss.  _I wonder if…_

Weiss tensed when she felt something poke lightly at her lips. It took her a second to realized it was Yang's tongue, asking for entry.

Nerves almost made her break the kiss, but… after a moment… curiosity won out.

Weiss parted her lips slightly, and Yang's tongue darted in, gently brushing against her own. Hesitantly, Weiss pushed back, Yang acting in kind.

Seconds ticked past as Weiss lost herself. By some mutual understanding, they broke apart slowly, Weiss only then noticing the heat in her cheeks. She opened her eyes, finding Yang smiling softly at her.

"Well?" she asked quietly.

Weiss stared back, before clearing her throat awkwardly. "Well, um… it wasn't… unpleasant."

Yang raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

After a moment, Weiss relented. "Okay, it felt… nice… very nice," she said, her blush deepening.

Yang's smile grew. "Good to know." She glanced at the door. "I wasn't kidding, ya know. Blake's still raring to go, and I don't really like the idea of Ruby dealing with that all on her own."

Weiss blinked, suddenly remembering the whole reason this had started in the first place. She nodded slowly. "Y-yeah. You should probably check back in."

Yang gave her a long look before getting to her fee, towel still wrapped around her. She put her hand on the doorknob, but stopped. She turned to Weiss. "Y'know, the offer still stands."

Weiss looked up at her, fully aware of what she was asking. She hesitated.  _Kissing is one thing, but… do I really want to…?_

"...could we stop?" she asked nervously. "If I don't like it?"

Yang just nodded, understanding. "If you feel uncomfortable, Weiss, ya just gotta say 'no'. I don't wanna force you to do something you don't want to do."

Weiss still hesitated. She felt nervous.. No, if she was honest with herself, she felt scared. She was so far out of her element, so out of her depth. She had no idea what would happen, and she hated that.

 _But…_ She stared into Yang's eyes, looking back at her with warmth and acceptance. So much in those lavender orbs that she'd never received from anybody.

 _I trust her._  Weiss was surprised by how unexpected that revelation was.

Hesitantly, Weiss raised her arm towards Yang. Yang's smile grew even further, pulling the smaller girl to her feet.

"I'm trusting you," she said softly.

"I know, Snowflake."


	6. Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/6/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

"...and that's pretty much it. After that, we just kinda... " Yang made a wave motion with her arm. "Go'd with the flow."

Blake smiled as Yang finished speaking. She looked at the sleeping heiress, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from her face. "So… did she like it?"

Yang smirked. "Oh, yeah. Took her a little while to get comfortable, though. Weirdly, I think Ruby being there helped her a bit."

Blake nodded, smiling back at Yang. "I think that was really sweet, you helping Weiss get through that."

Yang blushed a little at the praise. "Yeah, well, I think she just needed someone to vent to." Though she tried to laugh it off, she raised her arm a bit, resting her hand on Weiss' head, fingers over white hair.

"Really?" Blake said, an idea forming at the rather tender act. "Sure there wasn't any...  _other_  reason?" she asked with a smirk of her own.

Yang sent her a joking glare, well aware of what Blake was going for. "Yeah, actually, it was all an elaborate ploy to get into Princess' pants. You cracked the case, Sherlock Blake," she said sarcastically.

Blake giggled a bit. She glanced towards the wall clock. Nine a.m. "So, should we wake up Ruby and Weiss?"

Yang thought about it for a minute, then shook her head. "Nah, let 'em sleep. Besides, it's Saturday. Perfect day to laze around in bed."

Blake rolled her eyes at her partner's laziness. Although, with the way the sunlight was shining on her, and how warm and soft Ruby was on top of her…

"Works for me," Blake said, closing her eyes, feeling like she could go back to sleep herself.

She relaxed for about ten minutes, just listening to Weiss and Ruby breathe softly in their sleep, her ears twitching whenever one of them gave a particularly loud snore. After a while though, she started to get the feeling she was being watched.

"Something wrong, Yang?" she asked, her eyes sliding open.

Yang blushed at being caught. "Sorry, it's just... " Her eyes drifted to the top of Blake's head.

Blake blushed in kind. It was only then that she realized that, aside from the night before, this was the first time Yang had seen her ears. Actually, this was the first time  _anyone_  outside the White Fang had seen her ears. Now that her heat had passed, there was nothing occupying her thoughts, nothing to distract her.

If anything, it made her feel even more naked than she already was.

"Yes…?" she asked hesitantly, feeling wary.

Yang glanced up at her ears again, before giving an awkward smile. "Can I?" she asked softly.

Blake swallowed. If it had been anyone else, she would have taken that question as an insult. Her ears were  _not_  some novelty to be gawked at and fussed over. That kind of attitude made her blood boil fairly often.

But… this was Yang. Blake knew her, how she thought. There was no ulterior motive, no underhanded reason. Just simple curiosity.

With a little trepidation, Blake nodded her head. Nodding back, Yang raised her free hand, gently cupping Blake's ear.

"Soft…" she whispered as her fingers rubbed lightly against fur. She carefully traced her fingers from the tip of Blake's ear to the base, feeling the subtle shift from fur to hair.

Blake tensed at her touch. It had been so long since someone had touched her ears so gently, haze of heat notwithstanding. A small shiver went down her spine as Yang trailed over the point where her ears met her skull.

The rumble in her chest was sudden, involuntary. With a sharp intake of breath, she stopped, eyes wide as she flinched away from Yang's touch.

Yang pulled her hand back, worried. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

Blake looked at her in shock. Yang thought  _she_  did something wrong? Blake was the one who… did she not just hear what Blake did? The very obvious, very  _un-human_  sound she had made?

"D-didn't I just…?"

"Purr? Yeah." Yang cocked her head to the side. "Isn't that… a good thing? I thought that meant that you were happy?"

Blake felt a blush forming. "Y-yes, technically… but…" She gave Yang an odd look. "You don't think that's… weird?"

Yang just stared back, confused. "Should I? Is purring a bad thing?"

Blake was utterly confused. "You don't think it is?"

Yang raised an eyebrow, baffled. "Why would I? You were purring a lot last night… among other things."

Blake's eyes widened. "I was?" she whispered, mortified.

"Pretty much every time we took a break. You'd curl up next to one of us and start purring. We thought it just meant you were happy." She frowned. "Were we wrong?"

Blake looked back into her questioning eyes, a slurry of emotions forming in her gut. "It's… complicated."

Yang's eyes narrowed slightly, a rebuttal on her lips. Blake spoke quickly to explain. "Look, it's just… I haven't let myself purr in a long time." She swallowed. "I'm not really comfortable talking about it."

Yang's look grew sympathetic. She was quiet, before asking, "Do you want to, though?"

Blake glanced away. After debating in her head, she gave Yang a long look. "I'm not really… supposed to."

Yang furrowed her brow. "Why? Is it a Faunus thing?"

Blake gave a stiff nod. "...Faunus have been trying to prove to humanity that we are no different from them for decades. But… we are, in certain ways. Purring, growling, barking, just… things that we instinctively want to do… but when we act like… like  _animals_... " she said the word with disdain, "we tend to get treated as such."

Yang's eyes widened. "Blake, I… you know I'd never…"

Blake shook her head at her. "I know you wouldn't." She looked down at the sleeping Ruby, then over to Weiss. "None of you would. And... " She smiled at Yang. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

Yang smiled back. "No problem." She paused, her voice growing softer. "Y'know… You purring wouldn't change that."

Blake tensed at the thought. She knew Yang was telling the truth, and… hell, after last night, purring seemed rather tame by comparison. Still…

Blake took a breath, forcing herself to relax. She looked nervously at Yang. "Could you… scratch my ears again?" she asked, blushing.

Yang gave her a small smirk. She reached up gently, just barely ghosting her nails over skin.

Blake practically melted at the touch. She leaned towards Yang, prompting the blonde to scratch harder. Her lips quirked at the feeling.

Deep in her chest, Blake could feel the trembling sensation building. For a few seconds, she held back, but Yang's words played in her head. With a shaky breath, Blake purposefully let go for the first time in ten years.

Yang's grin grew as Blake's rumbling filled the room. A look of contentment formed on the Faunus' face, a true smile stretching across her lips.

Blake had been so tense and guarded the last few months. Even after getting outed, she always distanced herself from the rest of them, even though Yang was starting to suspect Blake didn't even realize she was doing it. It made Yang feel like a bit of a failure that Blake couldn't even let herself trust her own partner.

So seeing Blake so undeniably, honestly happy put a warm, fuzzy feeling in Yang's chest.

_First Weiss, now Blake. If this Huntress thing doesn't work out, maybe I should be a counselor… nah, too boring._

Blake's purring held steady as the minutes ticked by. Yang was starting to think that she could stay there all day, listening to Blake purr and Weiss snore on top of her.

"...uh?... wazzat?"

Yang stopped scratching at the noise, causing Blake to pause in her purring. Their attention was drawn to the head of red-tipped hair raising itself from Blake's chest.

Silver eyes blinked sleepily up at Blake's surprised face, Ruby smiled. "Oh.. morning Blake."

Blake recovered quickly. "Good morning Ruby."

Ruby tilted her head slightly. "Are you feeling better now?"

Blake smiled softly at the concern in her voice. "Much, Ruby, Thank you."

Ruby just nodded happily back. "That's good." And with that, her head fell back onto Blake's chest, eyes closed.

Now Blake tilted her head. "Did… she just fall back asleep?"

Yang snorted. "No, she just wants us to think she did. Don't ya, sleepy head?"

A single silver orb slid open at the blonde. Ruby's only response was to stick out her tongue before closing her eye again.

Blake and Yang chuckled at her childishness. Blake turned her gaze towards their last still-sleeping team member. "Think we should wake Weiss up now?"

Yang looked down at the girl in question. "Yeah, we are three for four. Might as well complete the set." She gave Weiss' shoulder a small shake. "Weiss? Oh, Weiss…!" she whispered. The heiress groaned a little, but stayed asleep. Yang shook her a little harder. "C'mon Weiss. I know I'm comfy and all, but it's wake up time."

This time worked. Weiss gave a groan of discontentment. "Uh… Yang…" she muttered, half-asleep as she pushed herself up, lifting her head from what she thought were pillows. "What is so importa-" She cut herself off as she opened her eyes, head still down.

Those weren't pillows.

She slowly looked up, finding Yang's smirking face inches from her, laughter in her eyes.

"Morning, Snowflake."

Weiss' face tinted pink, the color growing deeper and deeper as the rush of memories came flooding back.

Ruby opened her eyes again at the lack of response. "Is Weiss okay? She's turning really red."

Yang stifled a snort, glancing briefly at Ruby. "I think her brain's melting."

Weiss' eyes slowly panned across the bed, Blake stifling a laugh as her face grew redder and redder as she observed Blake and Ruby's position and their lack of clothing. The topper was when she slowly looked down at herself, and the look on her face as saw nothing but skin. She tilted her head up mechanically.

"Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"...we're naked."

"Yup."

"And we all…?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh.  _Oh._  Ooohhh, dear." Weiss' head slowly lowered itself down onto Yang's chest, her face a deeper shade of red than Ruby's cloak. Weiss' face was almost disturbingly blank as she just stared off into nothingness.

Yang chuckled. "Aaaand we broke her."

Ruby, however, looked concerned. "Weiss?" she asked, lightly poking Weiss' cheek. "You okay?"

Blake grew slightly worried when Weiss' only reaction was to dimly focus on Ruby's finger. But then Weiss closed her eyes, taking and releasing a deep breath. She opened her blue eyes, the makings of a smile on her lips. "I'm fine, Ruby. Just… wow." She let out a nervous laugh. "We, uh, we actually did that… didn't we?"

"Yep," Yang said, brushing a strand of hair from Weiss' eyes. When Weiss looked up at her, she smirked. "Pretty fun, wasn't it?"

Weiss rolled her eyes a little, though the smile never left her face. "That's one word for it, I suppose."

"So… can I say, 'I told you so', now?"

Weiss lightly punched her shoulder. "Don't push it," she grumbled, still smiling. Then her eyes trailed back to Blake. "Are you, um… back to normal, Blake?" she asked awkwardly.

Blake nodded, her never-ending grin widening. "Yes, Weiss, I feel much better. In fact," she let out a happy sigh, her head falling back to the pillow, "I feel  _wonderful_."

Yang laughed at the look of contentment on Blake's face. "Wow. Girls, we are  _good_."

"Oh, hush," Weiss chided, slapping Yang's arm. Though, she did feel rather accomplished at seeing Blake's happiness. She looked at the clock. Almost ten. "We should probably get up soon."

"Aw, c'mon Weiss, it's the weekend," Yang pouted.

Blake resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Sorry Yang, but I agree. Nice as this is, there are some things I want to do today."

Yang shot her a half-hearted glare. "Traitor…" she groaned. She turned her attention to her sister, who had once again closed her eyes. "Rube, I think we've been beat. Get up."

Ruby opened a single eye, and stared at Yang for a second.

"No," she said tersely, reaching behind her and pulling the covers over her head.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Ruby, get up."

"No."

"Ruby, get off of Blake."

"But she's  _waaarm_ …" Ruby whined, eliciting a blush from Blake.

Yang deadpanned at the covered bundle lying on top of her partner. She looked at Weiss, then at Blake. She smirked.

And promptly shoved Ruby off the bed.

"Wha-?!"  _THUD._

Yang chuckled, only to start laughing as Weiss frantically tried to cover herself, as the sheets had followed Ruby right off the bed. She shot Yang a glare.

"Oh, lighten up, Princess. Ain't like we didn't see everything last night." Weiss' only response was to glare harder, blush deepening.

Ruby popped up, finally untangling herself from the sheets. "Yaaang! No fair!"

Yang just laughed. "All's fair in love and war, Sis."

Ruby pouted. Then she smirked. "Well, in that case… dibs on the first shower!"

"Wait, wha-"

In a blur of red, Ruby flashed to the dresser, then the closet, then to the bathroom door. She stopped after opening the door, a bundle of clothes in her arm, giving the three a mock salute.

Blake pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling a laugh at the leader's antics. But then, just as Ruby was about to enter the bathroom, Blake noticed something strange. For just a second, she could have sworn she saw something red and purple on Ruby's left shoulder. Her eyes widened.

_Was that…?_

Ruby disappeared into the bathroom, the click of the lock echoing in the dorm.

"Oh, she did not just do that!" Yang yelled as she pushed herself up, Weiss sliding off her to the side. Blake leaned back as Yang climbed over her, watching as the blonde ran to the door and tried to open it. "Wha- I thought I broke this last night! Ruby, today's my day to shower first!"

"I can't hear you!~"

"LIAR!"

"And just like that, we're back to normal," Weiss grumbled, pulling the sheets up from the floor to cover herself. As she leaned down, her hair fell to her right side. Blake looked at her, and gasped.

_No._

Weiss froze at the sound, looking to Blake in alarm. "Blake? What's wrong?" Blake said nothing, just staring at Weiss with wide eyes. Confused, Weiss followed her gaze-

"What the…?"

On Weiss' left shoulder, just beside her collarbone, was a spot of deep purple two inches across, around which was a ring of what were unmistakenly teeth marks.

Weiss tentatively place her hand over the mark. Her face scrunched up in confusion as she ran her fingers on the raised edges of the bite. "When…?"

"Whoa," Yang said, having noticed the pair's reactions. Weiss looked over at her, eyes widening as she pointed.

"Yang, you have one, too!"

Blake's head snapped towards Yang right as the blonde looked down. Sure enough, Yang had a twin of Weiss' mark in the exact same spot.

 _No no no_.

"Hey, guys?" Ruby called uncertainly from the bathroom. "Do any of you have a bite mark on your shoulder?"

Yang looked towards the room. "Yeah, Ruby. We do, too." She then raised an eyebrow as her eyes panned over to Blake. "Except Blake," she added.

"Oh. Okay." Ruby went silent as the shower turned on.

Blake just stared dumbly at the marks, head swiveling between Weiss and Yang. "I… I don't…"

"Heh." Yang let out a laugh, suddenly smirking. "Didn't peg you for a biter, Blake."

Blake's cheeks tinted horribly, still stunned. "I… I…"

Yang giggled. "Relax, Blake. It's just a little love bite. It doesn't even hurt." Her expression then turned thoughtful. "Weird, though. Don't really remember this from last night."

Blake swallowed, Weiss shooting her a look. Weiss then grumbled a bit about how she hoped she could hide the bite with her clothes collar.

Blake mustered up a smile, her ears tilting back slightly. "S-sorry. Must have been a… 'heat of the moment' thing."

Yang blinked at her, before laughing. "Dang, you stole my joke!"

Blake laughed back as Weiss rolled her eyes. "You and your puns…" she muttered as she got off the bed, walking to the dresser holding the sheets around her. "So, what do you think the lockdown was for last night?"

"I dunno. They'll probably tell us later today."

Blake held her smile as she watched Yang and Weiss get ready for the day, catching the shirt and pants that Yang suddenly threw her way. As she slipped them on, however, she kept her eyes glued to the two bites on her friends, contrasting against their clear skin, mocking her.

On the outside, she smiled.

On the inside, she panicked.

_This… this isn't right… it's… it's just like Yang said, just a few love bites, nothing more… they're not… they can't be… I couldn't have given them…_

With growing dread, Blake flared her aura slightly, just a tiny pulse that no one would notice. Her stomach dropped when both marks faintly glowed purple, Yang scratching absently at hers.

_...a Mate's Mark._

* * *

**Professor Ozpin's Office**

Professor Ozpin frowned down at the scroll in his hand. On his desk sat a cup of coffee, cold and forgotten.

He looked up across the desk. Glynda Goodwitch stood on the other side, looking grim.

"You're sure this is all the information they took?"

"Yes, sir," she said, frowning.

Ozpin let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Whoever broke in is long gone by now. Lift the lockdown."

Goodwitch nodded, spinning on her heel as she left the room.

Ozpin looked out of his window at the morning sun rising in the sky.

"Who are you?" he asked himself, looking towards the city of Vale off in the distance.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

He watched the video for the hundredth time. Little Red zipping across the docks. The cat Faunus fighting off White Fang like it was second nature. Monkey boy making a mockery of his efforts. And the orange haired girl…

What kind of kid can shoot laser beams?!

Roman threw down his scroll in frustration. Things used to be so easy. Run around town, smash and grab, make a quick buck. And the White Fang had seemed like such a good idea, too. More people, more hands, more money in his pocket, more guns if things went south. Perfect!

And then Little Red and her freak parade showed up.

Roman slumped into his rolly chair, rubbing at his nose. He glanced at the clock.

_She should be here by now. Where the heck-_

**_Creak…_ **

Roman's head popped up, smiling slyly as his favorite partner in crime walked through the door, clad in bright pinks and dark browns, a parasol perched on her shoulder.

"Neo!" he called out happily. "My favorite little thief-slash-hitgirl! Did you get it?"

Neo rolled her mismatched eyes at his overreacting. She reached into her blouse and fished out a flash drive.

Roman's grin grew. "I knew you could do it! Now.. come to papa!"

He made a grab for the flash drive, only for Neo to pull it away, holding it over her head. She raised an eyebrow, before rubbing her fingers together with her other hand.

Roman pouted, but dug into his pocket. "Oh, fine," he grumbled before tossing a yellow packet at Neo.

Neo caught it easily, opening it. She pulled out a stack of Lien, flipping through it lazily.

Roman rolled his eyes. "It's all there. Twenty thousand, just like always, ya little bloodsucker."

Neo smirked at him, tossing over the flash drive. She then sighed as he fumbled his catch, nearly dropping it. Finally, with a cry of victory, he caught it, excitedly scooping up his scroll as he plugged the drive in.

He smiled gleefully at all the new information pouring across his screen. Names, pictures, weapons, skills, team names, everything he could ever hope to know about the students of Beacon Academy.

"Okay, Little Red," he said to himself. "Just who are you?"


	7. Contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/7/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

Beacon's library was one of Blake's favorite places. Far larger than any bookstore could compare to, and with such an extensive range of subjects. Always quiet and peaceful, never overcrowded. Most days, Blake would spend hours on end with a stack of books, happily oblivious to the rest of the world.

Today was not one of those days.

Blake sat in the corner of the library at a small table away from prying eyes. She held her head in her hands, elbows propped on the table. She stared down at the book before her, dread filling her with each word she read. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess.

_It just… it can't be possible. I couldn't have really… Marked them…_

She re-read the passage.

* * *

…  **It should be noted that a Faunus pursuing human mates is, at best, risky.**

**Due to differing biology, the human brain lacks the capability of reciprocating a Faunus' mating instinct. As such, humans are unable to create the mutual bond needed to form a Mate's Mark of their own.**

**However, their bodies** _**are** _ **capable of receiving a Mate's Mark from a Faunus. In fact, it is easier for a human to receive a Mate's Mark than a Faunus. Whereas two Faunus must have a mutual trust in one another to form a lasting bond, humans need only the barest form of attraction towards the Faunus in question. This makes them, essentially, a blank slate, capable of receiving a Mate's Mark with little to no effort on their part, needing only a Faunus' feeling towards them.**

**Faunus in such a relationship put themselves at great emotional risk forming such a bond. Care must be taken before a Faunus Marks a human as their mate, with great consideration from both parties.**

* * *

Blake closed her eyes with a sigh, closing the book. She'd read those lines a dozen times and they weren't changing any time soon.

"Damn it," she muttered quietly.

 _Why?_  That's all she could think as she made her way out of the library, a stack of books under her arm. Being the weekend, the school halls were nearly empty, allowing her to march ahead unimpeded.

' _Needing only a Faunus' feelings towards them…'_  She shook her head as she rounded a corner.  _But I don't feel that way towards them!... Do I?_

Her pace slowed slightly, a thoughtful frown forming.  _I… I guess I never gave it any real thought before… but still! Yes, I care for them, all of them, but… they're just my friends! Nothing more._

A sharp twinge in her chest brought her to a stop. She blinked, looking down as she slowly placed a hand over her heart.

 _What was that?_  She thought for a moment, before saying out loud, "I don't love Ru-"

Another twinge. It wasn't painful, just… uncomfortable, like her heart had beat a little too hard.

Narrowing her eyes, she tried again. "I don't love Wei-"

Again.

Frustrated, she huffed. In a calm clear voice, she said, "I do not love Ya-"

_***Ba-thump*** _

Okay,  _that_  one stung a bit. Blake's hand clutched at her chest. She hissed slightly, before marching ahead, thoughts swirling.

 _Why? Why does my chest hurt? They're just words, they don't mean anything. The bond's not even fully formed ye- no, there_ is _no bond. It was just an accident. I didn't choose to Mark them, and they didn't want to be Marked. They don't even know what those bites are. So I shouldn't feel anything when I say that I don't love them-_

_***Ba-thump*** _

Her hand flew to her chest as she flinched slightly.

_Unless…_

Her frown deepened.

_Am… am I lying to myself?_

A sudden breeze pulled her from her thoughts. Looking up, she noticed that she had somehow made it outside. A few students milled around the campus grounds, but, for the most part, the area was empty. Her eyes trailed towards a particular tree, one that she sometimes read under on pleasant days.

Blake sighed deeply, before moving towards the tree. Finding a comfortable spot, she sat beneath it, setting the books on her lap.

_Okay, let's go through this slowly… Yang._

Her partner seemed an obvious place to start. Yang was strong, loyal, free-spirited. She was hot-headed, loud, blunt, She…

Blake shook her head.  _No… no, that's the wrong way to go about it. That's just_ what  _she is. I need to think about_ who _she is… who she is to me._

Yang was… warm. Just being around her made Blake feel safe, as if all of life's problems would be solved so long as her partner was involved. Always there, always willing to listen, to help, to protect. If the whole world turned against her, she knew… she  _knew_  that Yang would be by her side, ready to take it all on.

Truth be told… Blake had already felt the beginnings of a crush forming rather recently. So the idea of becoming mates…

Blake felt her lips start to curl up, before she forced them back to a firm line.

_Okay… Yang makes sense… Ruby._

Ruby was… bright. So much energy, so much happiness. Just standing next to her could lift Blake's mood. The fifteen ("soon to be sixteen!" Ruby kept reminding them) year-old was one of, if not the only pure things in Blake's life, seemingly uncorrupted by the pain and darkness the world threw their way.

And she was so accepting of everything! The girl didn't care who or what you were, or what you did. All she wanted was for people to be happy. Naȉve? Maybe, but if anyone could pull it off, Blake felt Ruby could.

And… she was so understanding. As much as she loved talking with Blake, she always knew when to back off of a subject. When Blake hit a point where she didn't want to talk anymore, Ruby stopped. She never pushed, just giving Blake that small smile that said, 'When you're ready to talk, I'll listen.'

Ruby was a bright light in the darkness she'd been living in, a beacon of what the world could hold. The thought of losing that…

 _ ***Ba-thump***_  Her heart beat hollowly in her chest.

_I… I guess I do feel that way towards Ruby… It's… different from how I feel about Yang, but only slightly… and it's a good different. I… I can see her as a good mate… that just leaves…_

_Weiss.._

Blake frowned as the thought of the heiress, a flurry of confusing and conflicting emotions forming as she tried to put her feelings into words.

_Weiss… .She… how could I feel that way towards her? We have nothing in common. She's from high society, the upper-class. I'm… well, a Faunus._

Blake's bow twitched slightly as she fought the urge to fold back her ears.

_Why? Why would I Mark her? What am I missing? She's a good friend, yes, but… as a mate? She barely knows anything about me, or I her! She doesn't know what my life was like. She doesn't know what it's like to be a Faunus. So why?_

Again, Blake tried to remember what happened that night, at what point she had given each of her team a Mark. After a full minute of nothing but brief flashes and broken sounds, she let out a growl.

_I just don't get it. Yes, I like Weiss, but… Uh!_

Frustrated, Blake sifted through the books on her lap. If her own mind was so set on thinking in circles, she could at least look for more information to keep going. She finally settled on a well-worn tome, its pages yellowed from age. On it's brown cover, the title was stamped in simple bold text:

**The Basics of Faunus Culture, Vol. 2**

Blake nearly rolled her eyes at the simplistic title. The book was several decades old, maybe older than most of the teachers, but it was surprisingly informative. It and its sister volumes were some of the only books Blake had read about Faunus as a species that had little to no bias, just cold fact. Considering that it was written by a team of Faunus and human, Blake held the book with care, as it was proof that the two species could work together.

She opened the book, flipping through faded pages as she searched for…  _Ah, there it is._

* * *

**Forming a Mate's Mark is a simple, yet difficult task. For two Faunus to Mark one another, three things are needed: deep-seated affection, unshakeable trust, and, above all, mutual respect. Both Faunus must have these three traits in equal supply, or else one or both of the involved parties' Auras will be rejected, and the Marking process will fail. Should both Faunus prove equal to each other, and their Auras are accepted by one another, a basic Mark will form over the skin within the bite…**

* * *

Blake's eyes trailed off the page as she mulled over the words.

 _Affection, trust, and respect… real specific…_ she thought sarcastically. She mulled over her team members, applying each trait to them.

_Ruby and Yang certainly fit the bill, but Weiss… she's so frustrating! She's elitist, always so high-and-mighty, she's cold at times, hot-tempered at others… she… she's…_

* * *

" _You told me you were once a member of the White Fang, the organization that's been making my family's lives, and by extension my life, a living hell… If that couldn't make me hate you, what makes you think this could?"_

* * *

_...She's trying so hard._

Blake thought hard about Weiss' actions since discovering she was a Faunus. Weiss thought she was clever, but Blake was a master at hiding things, she could see the signs. The way Weiss would open her mouth to speak, then snap it shut almost violently. The way her eyes would trail over her bow, or Velvet's ears, or Sun's tail, before breaking away, her lips pursed in a tight frown. Any time anything Faunus related came up, Weiss would have the same reaction, almost like she was censoring herself.

And… there was a reason Blake didn't see  _ **The Basics of Faunus Culture, Vol. 1**_ on the shelf when she searched for books. Though she tried to keep it a secret, Blake had caught her a few times in the late hours, well past when they all should be sleeping, reading a similar brown book to the one she held now. She hadn't gotten very far into it, only reading it when she was sure that her team couldn't see her (at least those that  _didn't_  have night vision), but it showed Blake one very important thing:

Weiss was willing to learn. She was willing to see the other side of the story, not just the one her family had painted for her. Willing to question everything she'd ever known.

_Just like I did with the White Fang._

Blake let out a sigh.  _Okay, I respect her… and I trust her… but… affectionate? We've gotten closer, but… when would that have turned into…_

…

Blake's eyes slowly widened.

* * *

" _You're our friend, Blake. We don't care that you're a Faunus, or whether you're normal or not. You're a member of our team, and we trust you with our lives. We love you."_

" _Couldn't have said it better myself, Little Sis. Sorry, Blake. You couldn't make us hate you if you tried."_

" _Ruby's right. You are my friend. Nothing can change that."_

* * *

Blake felt her lips pull upwards, and she didn't stop them.

_**We love you.** _

_When was the last time someone told me that?..._  has  _anyone told me that?_

Blake felt her eyes well up, before she wiped away the start of tears.

Ruby's words replayed in her head, and Yang and Weiss' actions showed no denial. In fact, they enforced the sentiment.

_Okay… I see it now… how I can feel that way towards Weiss… how all of them… I… I love them._

Blake's smile slowly fell to a worried frown.

 _But… do they…_ could  _they… love me the same way?_

Blake was thoughtful for a few minutes. She looked down at the books in her lap, a thought striking her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, flaring her aura.

In her mind's eye, Blake pictured a black void, empty of all sight and sound.

_How to do this… I should just be able to extend my aura and… there!_

Eyes still closed, Blake turned her head to the right. She felt a small tug, like her aura was reaching for something. She focused in that direction, blocking out all sounds around her.

Off in the distance, something glowed faintly… warmly… yellow? Wait, now she felt something… excitement? Satisfaction?

Blake opened her eyes, and found herself looking towards the Combat Room. Her brow furrowed for a moment, before her eyes widened in realization.

_Yang challenged Nora to a spar earlier… that was Yang's aura!_

As if Yang's excitement was her own, Blake closed her eyes, eager to try again. It took her a moment to relax as she had been before, searching out again.

After five minutes of nothing but the initial pull, Blake was getting discouraged.  _Was it a fluke? Or… was Yang's Mark the only one to work?_

But just as she was about to give up, she felt her aura pull ever so slightly behind her. Craning her neck, Blake tried to zero in on the weak feeling. It was faint, extremely so, but after a moment…

Through the black void, two pinpricks of light shown through the darkness. One bright, excited, hopeful… red? The other tight, slightly stressed, not cold but… frosty and… white?

Again, the ghost of emotions washed over her. From the red, she felt happiness and… curiosity? And from the white… annoyance, exasperation, but also… endearment?

Blake opened her eyes, this time faced with… nothing… She frowned in confusion, before she thought a bit. Far off in the distance… The city of Vale.

_That's right… Weiss and Ruby went into town to restock supplies, maybe do some window shopping._

Blake could just imagine the situation. Ruby, bouncing all around the street, oohing and ahhing at anything that caught her eye as Weiss trailed behind her, trying and failing to rein in her partner's excitement.

Blake sighed in awe.  _All the way from Vale… and it's not even a complete bond yet… It works. They're real Mate's Marks._

Blake felt both very happy and very worried.  _What am I going to tell them? How do I explain this to them? And… will they even accept it? Three mates… most Faunus would balk at the thought… three humans? And the Schnee heiress to boot? What if-?_

Her breath hitched.

_What if they want to break the bond?_

Blake shook her head violently.

_No! No, I can't think that way. I'll just… I'll just explain it to them, exactly what it is, what everything means and… and if they want to break the bond… I'll do it._

_***Ba-thump***_  Her heart beat painfully, as if in protest.

_I didn't say I wanted to…_

Blake pulled out her scroll, glancing at the time. She slowly typed out a small text.

_**B- Hey, can we have a team meeting at the dorm around 6? I have something to tell you all.** _

Her finger hovered over the send button for a moment, before tapping. After a few seconds, she got a response.

_**W- Is something wrong?** _

_**Y- Sure. Sum kind prbm?** _

_**R- You okay?** _

Blake smiled at their concern, typing a response.

_**B- Nothing bad, but it is important.** _

_**Y- K, C Ya then** _

_**W- I'll be there.** _

_**R- Okay, bye Blake :)** _

Blake stared at her scroll for a moment, before standing up, books in hand. As she made her way towards the dorms, she started planning, trying to think of how she was going to explain this without getting punched or frozen or… whatever Ruby might do…

_I hope this works…_


	8. Admission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/8/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

"Seriously, Ruby? Did you really need an extra five packs of peanut butter cookies?"

Ruby and Weiss made their way down the winding hallways of Beacon Academy. Weiss held a bag of Dust, oil, and other Huntress necessities in her hand, while Ruby had numerous boxes of cookies cradled in her arms.

"Yes, I did. I was all out."

"...but five packs? Really?"

"Yang keeps eating them! I need this many so I know I'll get at least a few- whoa!"

As Ruby rounded the corner, she hit something solid. She fell down, cookie boxes flying as she threw her arms up in surprise.

"No! My cookies!"

In a red flash, Ruby jumped up and snatched the boxes out of the air.  _One, two, three, four, fi-!_

"Cool, peanut butter!"

Just as Ruby's fingers grazed the last box, it was suddenly ripped away, now in the hands of a certain blonde.

" _Yaaang!_  Those are mine!" Ruby whined as she stomped her foot.

Yang just smirked as she opened the box. "Call it an apology for bumping me," she said, swallowing a cookie in one bite. "Mmmh… I love these things."

Ruby's face turned red as she charged forward. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Yang, in response, merely grabbed her by the head and held her arm out, snacking away as Ruby flailed her arms, her precious cookies just out of reach.

Weiss, having watched all of this, pinched the bridge of her nose. "You two, I swear…" With a huff, she shouted, "Girls!" Yang and Ruby froze in their movements, looking at her in curiosity. "Blake is waiting on us?"

The sisters blinked, then looked at each other. Ruby groaned. " _Fiiiine…_ "

Yang smirked again as she released her grip, munching on another cookie as she started walking down the hall. Ruby followed her, scowling at her as she clutched her remaining cookie boxes against her chest.

Weiss just shook her head at them, walking up beside the two. She gave Yang an appraising look. "Spar go well?" she asked at her torn and singed clothing.

Yang beamed. "Oh ho-yeah. I kinda feel sorry for Nora's team. That hammer packs one hell of a punch."

Ruby, cookies still in a death grip, asked, "Did you figure out which one of you can hit harder?"

Yang looked confused for a second, before blinking. "Oh, yeah. That's why we sparred in the first place, wasn't it?" She chuckled sheepishly. "Guess we were having so much fun we forgot about that."

"So who won?" Ruby asked.

Yang shrugged. "Heck if I know. Nora got a call in the middle of the fight and took off before we could finish. I think she said something about sloths-?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course she did. So, do either of you know what Blake wants to talk about?"

Yang shrugged at her. "I dunno. She said it was important, though."

Ruby thought for a minute. "Maybe…" She looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "Maybe she's in heat again?" she whispered anyway.

Weiss' cheeks tinted, Ruby's words bringing memories of the past night once again to the forefront of her mind. She shook her head slightly, both to clear her head and as a negative. "I-I doubt that, Ruby. Blake's heat was gone this morning, so she probably won't be in heat for several weeks, maybe a month."

Yang cocked an eyebrow at her. "And you know this… how?"

Weiss held her head high, looking superior. "I took the liberty of researching more about Faunus mating habits, in case something like this happened again."

A smirk spread over Yang's lips. "So you wanted to know the next chance you and Blake could knock boots?"

Weiss' eyes widened to comical proportions. Yang's words suddenly put her own statement in a  _completely_  different context than she'd intended. "Wha- no! I-I was just concerned! And wanted to make sure we had all the information available!"

If anything, Yang's smirk grew bigger. "Available for  _what_  exactly?"

Weiss felt the heat rise to her cheeks, pointedly looking away from the blonde. "I am not dignifying that with a response."

Yang gave a small snort at her dismissive tone. She turned to Ruby, nearly busting up when she saw her sister's barely restrained smile.

Weiss just huffed, ignoring the two all the way to their dorm. Yang, being her usual boisterous self, swung open the door, announcing loudly, "We're home! So what's up… Blake?"

Weiss and Ruby were similarly confused at the sight before them. Blake sat curled up in the open window, arms wrapped around her legs as she leaned against the window frame. She stared off into the distance, towards the orange tinted sky of the setting sun, clearly in thought.

Most surprising, however, was the lack of a bow, her cat ears twitching slightly in the evening breeze.

When the door opened, Blake snapped out of whatever thoughts she'd been having, turning towards them. An odd smile graced her lips for a split second, before being schooled into her usual tight line. She swung her legs back into the room but remained sitting.

"Um… hi," she greeted, her timidness sending up a red flag for her team as they came in, Weiss shutting the door behind her.

"Hey…" Yang replied slowly, feeling a little wary. "Something up, Blake?"

Blake bit her lip slightly as Weiss and Ruby found a place to set down their goods, Ruby deftly making all four boxes of cookies seemingly disappear in seconds. Once all the attention was back on her, Blake took a calming breath. "I have something to tell you guys."

"Is it a bad something?" Ruby asked, concern growing.

Blake shifted uncomfortably. "Not… really. At least… well, it mostly depends on… how  _you_  look at it…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, giving Blake a look that  _dared_  her to try and keep another secret. Blake saw it, and swallowed. "It's, um... It's about last night."

Yang frowned. "Did we do something wrong?"

Blake's eyes widened, frantically waving her hands in front of her face. "No, no! It's nothing you did! You… you really helped me last night." A smile graced her lips, one which they returned, only to frown as Blake looked away. "It's… something I did."

At their questioning looks, Blake breathed deeply. "You… you have to understand, I… I've never really been… close… to anyone before. I mean, there was one time I thought… maybe, but… nothing came of it. I've never felt…  _wanted_  before."

"Blake…" Ruby said softly.

"But last night... " A smile spread over Blake's face. "Last night was… incredible. You all made me feel… accepted… loved."

The three were about to smile (despite the red dusting in Weiss' cheeks), but were surprised when Blake shook her head almost violently, pressing her lips into a frown.

"But that's no excuse! I shouldn't have…" She trailed off, staring down at the carpet. "I shouldn't have done it… not without your consent."

Yang quirked her head to the side. "Uh, what are you talking about, Blake? Last I checked, all three of us were on board last night… some sooner than others…"

"Hey…" Weiss droned warningly.

Blake only shook her head, much to their confusion. "No, not that… I… I did something to you." The three blinked at her rather blunt admission as Blake continued. "I don't know what I was thinking, I… I must have been so overwhelmed that…" She sighed before looking up to meet their eyes. "How much do you guys know about Faunus relationships?"

That threw them all for a loop. Yang turned to Ruby, who could only offer a shrug, while Weiss' eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Not much," Yang spoke for them. "I figured there wasn't much different from human relationships."

Blake grimaced slightly. "Yes and no. Like humans, we date, form relationships that way, but we do it for slightly different reasons. We're searching for a mate."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Mate? Isn't that just another word for life-partner, like husband and wife?"

Blake nodded in concession. "The idea is similar, but, again, different for Faunus. I guess… I guess the best way to explain it is, when two humans want to marry, they want someone to share their life with. When two Faunus mate, they want to find someone to share  _who they are_  with."

Ruby was confused. "Isn't that the same thing?"

Blake shook her head. "It's not, because… Faunus have the ability to form a much deeper connection. We're able to feel our mate's emotions."

All eyes widened. "Seriously?" Yang asked in wonder.

"Yes. When two Faunus truly care for each other… when they respect and trust each other above all else, they can create a bond that allows them to search out the other's aura, to feel what they feel at any given time. The more in tune they are to the other's aura, the stronger the feelings are."

Yang and Ruby stared at her, Ruby with stars in her eyes while Yang let out an impressed laugh. "Cool."

Weiss, however, gave her a much more critical look. "Why are you telling us this?" she asked, drawing the sisters' attention.

Blake flinched at her tone, ears pinning to her head. "Because… last night, I…" She took a shuddering breath. "In order to create that bond, two Faunus have to give a portion of their aura to their partner. They do this by…"

"By…?" Weiss prodded, though she had a sinking feeling as to the answer.

"...by biting one another."

Weiss' eyes widened. Her hand flew to her left shoulder. Seeing that, Yang and Ruby slowly put the pieces together, slowly mimicking her. "Blake?" Yang asked, her tone disbelieving.

Blake swallowed, head shooting up, her eyes pleading. "I swear, I didn't mean to! I was just as surprised when I saw them this morning as you were. I don't even remember when…" She trailed off, the looks she was receiving robbing her of her resolve.

The room was silent. It took everything Blake had not to look away from the mixed expressions on her teammate's faces. Ruby's was rather unreadable, the only thing showing through was confusion. Yang stared at her in disbelief and shock, her mouth hanging open slightly. And Weiss…

Blake felt her heart clench.

Weiss' face was completely blank. Her lips were set in a tight line. She would have seemed unnervingly calm, had it not been for her hand forming a fist over where her bite was. Weiss took a deep breath through her nose. "You… mated… to us?" she asked, voice frigid.

Blake could only nod, forcing herself to keep eye contact with the heiress.

"All three of us?"

Another nod.

"You... " Weiss clenched her jaw, breathing deeply. "So, we are your… mates, now?"

Blake shook her head. "No, not yet, not… fully. It's just an initial mark… a starting point. It's meant to give potential mates a chance to… reconsider."

Weiss' shoulders relaxed, if only slightly. "So you can remove these… marks?" she asked, relieved, only to narrow her eyes as Blake's ears pinned back at her words.

"I… can... " Blake admitted hesitantly.

 _No..._  Weiss thought.  _Not hesitantly… Reluctantly._

"You… don't want to."

It wasn't a question but a statement, spoken in such a cold, unfeeling tone that everyone else in the room could feel the temperature drop a few degrees.

Every instinct Blake had screamed at Blake to backtrack, to lie. The more human part of her warned her of the rising tension in the room, while her animalistic side outright ordered her to do what she always did when faced with unwanted conflict.  _Flee, hide, run_.

Blake forced it all down. She looked into Weiss' eyes, trying to ignore the blankness in them.

"I'd like to try."

Weiss stared back at her, blank face unchanging. Off to the side, Yang kept her eyes on Blake, an odd mix of emotions on her face. Ruby, finally regaining her wits, kept glancing between Weiss and Blake, a look of concern on her features.

"Try…" Weiss breathed out in that cold, detached tone. "...try… are you seriously referring to a romantic relationship between the three of us and you? You want to… share us?"

Blake shook her head slightly. "It… it wouldn't be like that. It would be an equal bond, no one of us less important than the others. No less…" She slowed to a stop, afraid of how her words would be received.

"'No less' what, Blake?" Weiss' tone left no room for argument.

Blake stared into cold, blue eyes, her vision blurring slightly. "No less loved."

Weiss finally gave a reaction in the form of her eyes widening. There was a slight tremble in her fist, still placed over her fledgling mark. Her knuckles were turning white. She closed her eyes, her jaw clenched. Blake waited.

Eyes still closed, Weiss spoke. "Blake, you said that… mates… can feel each other's emotions?"

"Yes," Blake admitted.

Weiss swallowed. "So… you can feel  _our_ emotions?"

Blake fidgeted in her seat. "I-I can, but I'm not! I won't! Not without your permission."

Weiss took several deep breaths, short and shaky. Her eyes opened, boring into Blake's amber orbs. "Then tell me what I'm feeling right now."

Now Blake swallowed. Very hesitantly, she reached with her aura across the short distance between them. Terrified of what she'd find, her violet aura brushed lightly against the front of Weiss'.

Blake visibly flinched at the contact, Weiss' eyes following her. Unable to look her in the eye, Blake's gaze dropped to the floor.

"Anger," she said softly. "Confusion. Frustration." She swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing the final word out. "B-betrayal."

Now it was Weiss' turn to flinch, if only slightly. Her face softened, a tight frown forming on her lips. She clenched her jaw tightly. She tore her gaze away from Blake, looking at Yang, then Ruby. she looked back down at Blake, the Faunus still staring at the ground.

With a shaky breath, she spun on her heel.

"I need some air."

Before anyone could react, Weiss was gone, the dorm room door closing softly behind her.

Ruby blinked, before moving to chase after her. "Weiss, wait-!"

"No, Ruby."

Ruby froze, looking towards Blake as the Faunus lifted her head slightly to meet her eyes.

"It's okay. I just dropped a lot on her, on all of you. Let her go."

Ruby looked between her and the door. "But…" she whimpered, distressed.

"Did you mean that, Blake?"

The two of them looked towards Yang, startled by her quiet voice. The blonde was staring at Blake, her face unreadable. "You… you love us? Like that?"

Blake nodded hesitantly, "Yes, I do. I love you all."

Yang let out a huff of a laugh. "Even me?"

Blake smiled slightly. "Yes. I love you, Yang."

Red entered Yang's cheeks, her lavender eyes widening at Blake's blunt admission. She laughed nervously, stuttering. "I, uh, hehe… wow, I… um… look, Blake, I'm flattered and all, really, I am, but… you see, I, uh… it's just, um…" She petered out, running a hand through her hair. She swallowed thickly. "Y'know, I, uh… I think… I think Weiss has the right idea. I, uh… I need to think."

She took a step towards the door, before whirling around, eyes wide with panic. "But, I'll be back! I just… I'm just gonna take a walk, clear my head. That, uh… that okay?"

Blake nodded, ignoring the dull ache in her chest as Yang stepped closer to the door. She managed a smile. "Take all the time you need, Yang."

Yang nodded back. "Cool… cool… I'll, uh, I'll be back later… I promise!" She gave Ruby a long look, one which her sister returned worriedly. With one last look at her partner, Yang followed Weiss' lead, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Blake stared after, before looking at Ruby. "You can go too, Ruby." When the leader turned to her in surprise, Blake gave her a half smile. "You probably need to think, too. I understand." She mumbled the last part quietly, eyes falling back downward.

Ruby stared at her in concern. She looked towards the hallway door, then back at Blake. She nodded.

Then tackled Blake.

Blake gasped as the weight slammed into her, nearly sending her out the window. Her confusion morphed into understanding as she felt two thin arms wrap around her.

"Ruby...:" She breathed softly, her eyes tearing up.

Ruby simply tightened her grip. "You need a hug." Her tone left no room for debate.

Blake smiled, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl, burying her head in Ruby's shoulder. "Thank you."

She felt Ruby nod.

They stayed like that for about a minute, before Ruby pulled away, still keeping her arms on Blake's waist. "Can we sit on your bed?"

Blake blinked at the question, then nodded. They soon found themselves sitting across from each other on Blake's bed, Ruby sitting cross-legged while Blake wrapped her arms around her legs again.

"Sooo…" Ruby started hesitantly. "Do you really not remember biting us last night?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I don't. I don't even know how I did it without any of you noticing. Can… you remember when I might have bitten you last night?"

Ruby thought hard, her brow scrunched up in concentration. "Um… well…" She blinked, slamming her fist to her palm. "Oh! Maybe it was when you did that little neck rub!"

Blake tilted her head. "Neck rub?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, that's what it felt like, at least. After we, um…" Ruby's cheeks tinted, a bashful smile on her lips. "...we were all really tired. Yang and Weiss fell asleep pretty quick, but you and I just laid there for a little while. Then…"

* * *

_Ruby felt… fuzzy._

_That was the only way she could describe it. Just… fuzzy. Like her whole body was covered in cotton balls or something. Fuzzy and warm… kinda tingly._

_Her eyes drooped down as she shifted her weight, getting comfortable on top of her Faunus friend, head tucked into Blake's neck as she listened to the soft purrs right next to her ear._

_She forced her eyes to stay open, looking to the bodies next to her. Weiss lay atop Yang, the blonde holding the heiress in a loose embrace. A smile formed on Ruby's lips as she closed her eyes, ready to let the sweet temptation of sleep embrace her._

_Just as she was about to succumb to dreamland, the room suddenly went silent. Her eyes blinked back open as she looked up, confused. "Blake?" she called sleepily._

_The now silent Faunus looked down at her. She had an odd look on her face, a not-quite frown on her lips as she stared at Ruby, her eyes still slitted. She slowly panned over to Weiss and Yang, looking at each of them, then back to Ruby._

_Despite her protesting muscles, Ruby made herself sit up so that her head would be level with Blake's. "Hey, what's wrong?"_

_Blake's eyes flickered down nervously, as if keeping eye contact was difficult. Then, closing her eyes, she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Ruby's._

_Ruby, not quite knowing what to make of this, just closed her eyes, adding her own slight pressure to the contact. After a moment, Blake pulled back. They both opened their eyes, and Ruby now found Blake smiling warmly at her. Then she leaned into Ruby's shoulder._

_Ruby felt a small pinch, and suddenly felt very warm. A smile spread across her lips as she saw Blake pull away again, smiling at her as she lightly licked her lips. The new fuzzy feeling seemed to multiply Ruby's exhaustion, the leader now finding it much harder to keep her eyes open. With a smile on her face, she set her head down on Blake's chest, listening to the Faunus' heartbeat as she slowly drifted off._

_She was only dimly aware of Blake's hand gently holding her head in place as the girl started to lean towards the other two girls beside them._

* * *

As Ruby finished, Blake hid her face in her hands. "Are you sure that's what I did?" she asked in a near whisper.

Ruby nodded, slightly confused. "Yeah. Why?"

Blake let out a deep sigh, lowering her hands so she could meet Ruby's eye. "You're right, that's most likely when I Marked you. The others, too. That forehead bump I did?" She waited for Ruby to nod before continuing. "That's a Faunus' way of asking if you want to be their mate. And you're sure you pressed back?" Ruby nodded again, Blake wincing slightly as she did. "That's how another Faunus would accept. Damn instincts…" she muttered, mostly to herself as she scowled.

Ruby thought for a moment. "So… what does this mean? Now that I'm… Marked?"

Blake shifted as she met her eyes. "It's… kind of difficult to explain. I'd like to explain it to all of you, so you have all the information before any of you… choose."

Ruby nodded. Then, she gave a small smile. "So… you love me?"

Though her cheeks tinted, Blake did start to smile. "Yes, Ruby, I really do."

Ruby fidgeted a bit. "Could… could you show me?"

Blake blinked in surprise. "Um… how?"

"Well… you said that Mates could feel each other's emotions, right?"

A jolt went through Blake as she realized what Ruby was talking about. "Oh! Oh, um I… I don't know. Ruby. I'm not sure if you can."

Ruby seemed disappointed. " _Aww_ … why not?"

Blake rubbed the back of her neck, a quirk she had picked up from Yang. "It's a Faunus ability. I don't know a lot about Faunus taking human mates. I can feel your emotions, but I'm not sure if it would work the other way around."

Ruby still looked hopeful. "Well, could we still try? It sounds really cool! And… I'd like to be able to feel what you feel," she ended with a blush.

Blake seemed apprehensive, but the starry-eyed look Ruby was giving her quickly made her crumble. "Okay," she relented as she moved her legs to sit cross-legged across from Ruby. "I suppose there's no harm in trying. Just… please don't get your hopes up."

Ruby nodded. "So… how do we do this?"

Blake frowned in concentration. "I'm not sure how to explain it. The first time I tried, I blocked out everything around me, and tried to 'see' with my aura."

Ruby tilted her head. "See with your aura?"

"Um…" Blake struggled to explain. "You know how you can focus your aura in one place to heal quicker?" Ruby nodded. "It's like that, only instead of moving your aura to one place on your body, try to push your aura outwards. Let it 'look' around on its own, see if it can find something for you to focus on. Close your eyes."

Ruby did as she was told. Keeping Blake's words in mind, she ignored everything around her, not too hard since there was nothing in the room to distract her. Doing as Blake said, she reached for her aura and  _pushed_.

Seconds passed, and she felt nothing. Frustrated, she pushed harder, her brow furrowed in concentration. Just when she was about to give up, she felt something tug her forward. Focusing on that feeling, she nearly gasped.

It was right in front of her, so close she was baffled she hadn't 'seen' it sooner. A black spot in the darkness, hidden in plain view if not for the deep violet glow surrounding it. It was a little ominous, but also gave off a feeling of safety, like it was something that would hide and protect her if need be.

"Blake?" Ruby asked softly, eyes still closed. "I think… I think I… 'found' you. But… I don't really feel-" Ruby gasped.

_Fear. sadness. Self-loathing. Calm. Relief. Happiness._

_Love._

Ruby's eyes flew open. She took long, deep breaths, her heart hammering away in her chest. She felt two hands grip her shoulders lightly.

"Ruby? Ruby, are you alright?" Blake was right in front of her, worry in her eyes, cat-ears pinned against her head.

Ruby took a few more slow breaths. "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine." She gave a shaky laugh, smiling widely. "That was a little intense."

Blake managed a small smile of her own. "Sorry, I usually keep my emotions hidden, that's probably why you couldn't feel them right awa-" She froze, her words finally registering. "You… you felt me."

Ruby gave a nod, smiling. "Yep!"

Blake stared at Ruby, an expression of disbelieving awe on her face. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, and Ruby suddenly found herself in a shockingly strong hug. "It… it worked," Blake said, mostly to herself. She let out a laugh of disbelief. "You're… you're my Mate." As soon as the words left her mouth, she pulled back, eyes wide. "I mean… you  _can_  be my Mate. If you… want to…" she finished awkwardly.

Ruby looked at her, thinking hard. "I… I think I need to talk with Yang and Weiss first. But…" She gave Blake a wide smile. "I think I'd like to try to."

Blake's shocked expression melted into a watery smile. She pulled Ruby into a softer hug, the leader hugging back. Ruby was the one to break the silence this time, however. "I'm gonna go find Yang," she said, pulling away from the embrace.

Blake frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Ruby shrugged with a smile. "Call it 'sister's intuition'. I think she needs to talk to someone about all…  _this_." She gestured to the room as a whole.

Blake's ears bent slightly. "Are you sure, Ruby? Maybe she needs to think things out herself."

Ruby seemed to mull it over for a second, giving a disquieted frown as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "If it was anyone else, probably, but… Yang can get a little… moody, I guess?... when she stews over something for too long. Trust me, it's better to let her vent now than have her bottle up what she's thinking." She cringed, as if remembering something. "It never ends well."

Blake looked uneasy, but nodded anyway. "Okay. I'll stay here and…" she sighed deeply. "Try and figure out what I'm going to say to Yang and Weiss."

Ruby nodded. She stood up and walked to the door. But just as she put her hand on the doorknob…

Blake felt a whoosh of air and saw a flash of red. Before she could react, she felt a pair of lips peck her cheek. She blinked to find a red-faced Ruby Rose in front of her, smiling awkwardly. "Uh, see ya!" she chirped as she disappeared in a whirlwind of rose petals, the door slamming behind her as she zoomed away.

Blake stared at the spot her kind-of Mate had just occupied. She looked down at her bed, at the rose petals strewn about. She picked one up, holding it gently between her fingers, before laying it on her palm. She smiled at it.

 _Ruby Rose… my beacon in the darkness_.

* * *

The click of high-heeled boots echoed through the near-empty halls of Beacon. The few students that were still walking about looked towards the sound, but quickly found something better to do once they found the source: a certain white-haired heiress, marching with a purpose, her trademark rapier held at the ready.

To most people, that alone would be enough to put them on edge, but the scary thing was her expression, or rather the lack of it. To anyone looking at her, Weiss Schnee appeared the picture of calm.

And yet, just a single look at her eyes were all it took to tell the story.

It wasn't that Weiss wasn't mad, oh no…

She was just so furious she'd come full circle.

Inside her head, Weiss' thoughts were a jumbled, incomprehensible mess, to the point that she could barely do anything other than keep walking forward until she reached her destination.

It took only a few minutes before she arrived. Pushing the door open, nearly smacking some poor student in the face as she was about to leave, she marched across the room oblivious to the stares she was receiving as she found an empty section. With a few taps of her scroll, the floor panels slid aside, metal bodies rising from beneath.

Beacon Academy had a large supply of old AK-100s, donated in bulk from the Atlassian military once they'd been rendered obsolete by the new models that had been developed. They were bulky and slow, but powerful. They were built to take punishment, making them excellent for students to practice on when they were in need of more 'hands-on' training without the fear of harming another student.

An important thing to note was their tolerance for Dust. As Dust tended to be most enemy's ace-in-the-hole in terms of fighting, the AK-100s, and their successors, were built to withstand intense heat and electrical output. They could survive the most extreme Dust-related punishment that they could be faced with.

As three AK-100s took fighting stances, Weiss calmly raised Myrtenaster, pointing it at the center robot. With her thumb, she rotated the Lightning Dust chamber into place. She cocked the hammer.

The robot charged.

Weiss clicked the trigger.

_**BOOOOOOOMMMM!** _

The robot exploded.


	9. Runaround

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/9/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

To the few students who had yet to meet the leader of Team RWBY, the sight of hundreds of rose petals scattered throughout the halls of Beacon was a baffling one. Everyone who did know her, however…

...was wondering what the heck was wrong with her.

After the third time she'd passed the cafeteria, Ruby was slowly moving from worried to frustrated. She felt like she'd ran a dozen laps in and around the school, and for all she knew, she had.

Finally stopping to take a breath, Ruby found herself, of all places, on the roof. The sky was quickly darkening as the sun sank beneath the horizon, stars just starting to dot the sky. Beacon was slowly starting to glow as lit windows took the place of the fleeing sunshine, the white surface of its wall being swallowed by the dark of night.

Ruby took no notice of any of this, however. For there was only one loud, frustrated thought running through her head that she was about ready to just scream towards the sky:

_Yang, where the heck are you?!_

Ruby sat on the roof, exhaustion winning out as she fell on her back. What should have been a quick jog had turned into a twenty-minute marathon as she searched in vain for her Big Sis. She'd checked the library, the cafeteria, every classroom, every dorm room that opened when she knocked, anywhere she could think that Yang could be hiding out.

And yet, here she was, still Big Sis-less… and now her legs hurt.

Ruby let out a groan.

 _I gotta find Yang. If she stews on this too long…_  Ruby shivered.

To Ruby, there four kinds of Yang. First was Big Sis Yang, who was around to most and was exactly what she sounded like: Ruby's best big sister she could ever have, ready to kick butt and take names of any and all who dared to threaten those she cared about.

Then there was Angry Yang, the often seen but rarely long-lasting Yang who tended to hit first and ask… well, usually never. Asking was usually up to whoever was with her at the time as Angry Yang tried to calm down from whatever was ticking her off at the moment. Luckily, Angry Yang tended to burn herself out rather quickly.

Next… next was a Yang that Ruby loved very dearly, yet at the same time wished never had to exist. The Yang who was there whenever times got too rough. The Yang who held her after a nightmare, who sang her to sleep right after. The Yang who did her best to make the perfect cookies from memory. The Yang who tried her hardest to fill the void. The Yang who a young Ruby had thought of as… Mama Yang.

Ruby smiled sadly up at the stars. As they'd gotten older and Ruby had come to terms with reality, Mama Yang had slowly started to fade away. Still, she knew, if need be, Mama Yang would make a reappearance.

But then…

Ruby frowned.

The fourth Yang… the most seldom seen, and the one that Ruby had never been able to give a name. She could count on one hand the number of times this Yang had appeared, and none of them were good. This Yang… this Yang was unpredictable… she tried to act like Big Sis Yang, but couldn't do it quite right. She was always a step or two behind where Big Sis Yang would usually be, and would sometimes burst into what was almost a harsher version of Angry Yang. But mostly she was just… empty.

Ruby closed her eyes. She didn't hate this Yang… how could she? Good or bad, she was still part of her Big Sis. But every time she showed up, she stuck around, sometimes for a few weeks, sometimes for months. She would eventually go away, and Big Sis Yang would come back, but that either took a long time, or for her to do something really stupid or dangerous.

The image of a little red wagon popped into Ruby's head.

She shook the image away. Yang wasn't nearly that bad this time. But that look in her eye… if Yang stewed too long, then Ruby would once again be stuck with… Troubled Yang?

Ruby frowned, shaking her head. Troubled was accurate, but at the same time didn't quite capture everything that made that Yang who she was.

Ruby sighed. The answer was simple: talk to Yang, listen to her vent (which she most likely wanted to do), then talk some more about the whole Mates thing.

However, that still left one major problem:

_Where the heck is she?_

Ruby groaned.  _I got nothing. I've been all over the school, most of the grounds, the roof, the basement, the pool… funny, no one told us Beacon had a pool… but no Yang. It's almost like…_

With a blink, Ruby pulled herself up. She turned her head towards the twinkling lights of Vale.

 _Oh… maybe she went into the city._ Ruby grimaced.  _Oh, I hope not. The last ship left for the day. I mean, I could run, but..._ She lifted one of her legs, wincing at the soreness.  _Yeah, I really hope she's still a Beacon. But where?_

She let out a sigh. She thought about calling Yang on her scroll, but decided that this was a conversation that should be in person. Although…

Ruby sat up, pulling out her scroll. With a few finger taps, she pulled up her contacts and clicked on Yang's info. She scrolled until she found the correct command:  **Show Location**.

Ruby clicked it and watched as a progress icon popped up, spinning and spinning. A message popped up:

 **User Offline**.

Ruby let out a frustrated groan, closing her eyes as she brought a hand to her face. Well, at least she felt less stupid for not thinking of that earlier. Still, it would have been nice to just look up Yang's info and know exactly where she was.

Ruby's eyes slowly opened

_Oh._

She looked back across the school grounds at the few people walking about in the moonlight.  _Would that work? I mean, it did with Blake, but she's the Faunus, and the one who made the Mark… but she gave Yang one, too. It makes sense… I think…_

Ruby thought for a minute, then gave a sharp nod.  _Like Blake said, there's no harm in trying. Okay, close my eyes… block everything out… focus on my aura… and… push!_

Again, Ruby found herself in a blank void, nothing but darkness in all directions. Doing as she had with Blake earlier, Ruby pushed her aura outwards, and waited. After a few seconds, she felt a small tug downwards. Turning her head towards it, she could see the same violet-clad cloud of black that she knew was Blake's aura. She felt her own aura start to reach out towards it, but quickly pulled it back.

_No need to bother Blake while she's thinking… wait, would it bother her? Can you tell if your Mate is feeling your emotions? ...eh, questions for later. At least I know I'm doing it right. Now... where's Yang?_

Ruby pushed her aura a little harder, feeling a slight strain as she did so.

_Whew… Blake didn't mention this would make you tired… C'mon Yang, where the heck... Wait… is that…?_

All of a sudden, Ruby's aura tugged in a different direction, downwards again, but also in the opposite direction of where Blake was. Looking that way, Ruby saw another wispy cloud of aura. This one was white… and seemed to be glowing.

 _Is that… Weiss?_  Ruby reached out with her aura, a wispy string of red stopping right near the cloud of white. Ruby hesitated for a second, then closed the gap between their aura, barely brushing Weiss'.

Ruby's whole body flinched back like she'd been burned, her eyes snapping open. She was dimly aware that the building she was looking towards was the Combat Room.

 _That… that was…_ Ruby couldn't put it into words. Weiss' emotions… Anger, frustration, so,  _so_  much confusion, but above all else… hurt.

She didn't even know if hurt counted as an emotion, but there was no mistaking that feeling. Weiss was hurting… badly.

Ruby thought back. She'd passed the Combat Room in her mad marathon across the campus, and had seen the heiress utterly decimate a number of practice robots with blast after blast of Dust. Ruby hadn't thought much of it, figuring Weiss was just venting her emotions the same way she'd seen Yang dozens of times before. But now…

She felt torn. She wanted to talk to her sister, but now she wanted to help her partner just as badly.

_Help my Big Sis, or help my best friend? Big Sis, best friend, Big Sis, best friend… Uhh, being team leader really sucks sometimes._

She let out a long breath through her nose.  _I can't talk to Weiss until she calms down anyway. At least I know where she is. Yang first, Weiss right after. Now… where are you Yang?_

Ruby closed her eyes and pushed. She ignored the tugging sensation towards Blake and Weiss, and pushed her aura as far as she could. Her head started pounding as she hit her limit.

_C'mon, I gotta be close, where… there!_

The small, weak tug forwards nearly made Ruby yell in triumph. Instead, she stretched out her aura, just as she had with Weiss. Sure enough, way off in the distance, there was a cloud of yellow aura, though it seemed kind of… dim. Ruby cracked open one of her eyes to find out which direction she was looking.

 _...the airfield? Gonna have to ask her about that_. After the experience with Weiss' aura, Ruby was hesitant to touch Yang's, but did so all the same. And what she found was… surprising.

Nervousness. Confusion. A bit of anger. Those made sense, Ruby supposed. But sadness? Anxiety? Insecurity?

Yang, insecure? That was like saying Grimm were cute and cuddly.

Ruby frowned.  _I need to talk to her._ _ **Now.**_

She got to her feet… and immediately sat back down. With a hiss of pain, Ruby was suddenly aware that, in addition to her already sore legs, she'd also managed to deplete her aura.

_Maybe I'll take the elevator._

* * *

It was a limping and rather sore Ruby who slowly made her way down the path to Beacon's airfield. A decent sized crowd of students were making their way towards the school, likely having just gotten off the last transport of the day. Ruby ignored them as they passed. She was so focused on the path in front of her, she accidentally bumped someone's shoulder as she walked.

"Oh, sorry!" she said quickly as the other person stumbled slightly.

"It's alright- Ruby?" Huh, that soft voice was familiar.

Ruby turned towards the person and immediately recognized the two large rabbit ears sticking out of her hair.

"Oh, sorry Velvet," she apologized more politely. "I'm a bit out of it."

The rabbit Faunus gave her a soft smile. "It's okay, Ruby." Then she frowned in concern. "Are you feeling alright? You look kind of tired."

Ruby just grinned, waving her off. "Oh, I just got done with a run. Oh, hey, have you seen my sister Yang?"

To her delighted surprise, Velvet nodded. "Yes, actually. Last I saw, she was sitting on a bench at the airfield, right near the cliffs."

Ruby beamed. "Perfect! Thank you, Velvet! See you around!" Ruby continued down the path, a bit more pep in her step.

Velvet smiled. "No problem. You're welcome, Ruby!" she called after the younger girl. Velvet turned to head towards Beacon, then stopped. Very slowly, she turned back towards the young sniper. She tilted her head a bit, her nose wiggling as she sniffed the air. She shook her head, laughing softly. "Must be my imagination," she said to herself, before jogging to catch up with her team.


	10. Sister Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/10/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

Ruby finally reached the airfield, much to the relief of her aching legs. She looked around, but didn't see Yang. Only an airship and a couple Bullheads, a few people checking them over as they prepared for the end of the day. Ruby frowned, then closed her eyes. After a few moments, she walked towards the nearest Bullhead. Walking around it, she saw a mane of blonde hair.

Yang sat alone on a small bench overlooking the city of Vale. Her head was down, pointed towards her limp hands as they rested on her knees. She was silent.

"Yang?" Ruby called to her.

Yang jolted at her name being called. With a shake of her head, she turned towards the speaker, eyes wide with panic. She calmed down once she saw who it was.

"Ruby! Oh, it's just… just you," she said as she took deep breaths, calming herself.

Feeling very concerned, Ruby sat down beside her on the bench. "Were you expecting someone else?"

Yang shook her head, eyes pointed towards the ground. "No, no, I just…" She trailed off with a sigh.

Ruby frowned. "Wanna talk about it?"

Yang barked out a humorless laugh. "About what, exactly? The part where Blake said she loves me, or the part where she wants to make a permanent four-way with you, me and Weiss?"

Ruby's cheeks tinted as she ignored Yang's crude bluntness. "Both, I guess?"

A long sigh passed Yang's lips. "What do you want me to say, Ruby?"

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno. What do you want to say?"

Yang glared at Ruby out of the corner of her eye. "Very funny," she muttered, annoyed.

They sat in silence, the evening air slowly filling with the distant sound of chirping crickets. Ruby just waited, her eyes never leaving her sister as Yang kept her head down, hair covering her eyes.

After a few minutes, Yang broke the silence. "So, what did you and Blake talk about?"

Ruby blinked in surprise. "How did you-?"

Yang cut her off with a soft chuckle. "I know you, Rubes. No way you took off and left Blake alone. Not after me and Weiss... " She took a breath, her voice shaking slightly. "...left."

Ruby shifted in her seat. "Not much," she answered. "She didn't give me a lot of details. She said she wanted to do that when we were all there."

Yang's only response was a small hum of acknowledgment.

It was quiet for a few seconds, before Ruby spoke. "She said she loved me."

Yang's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she stared at her little sister. "Really?" she asked in disbelief.

Ruby nodded, smiling brightly. "Yep! She meant it, too!"

At that, Yang's eyes went back to normal as she raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked again, much calmer and with an edge of sarcasm. "You're sure about that?"

Ruby frowned. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

Yang shook her head. "People sometimes just say things, Ruby."

Ruby shook her head violently. "Blake didn't. She really meant it. She showed me!"

Yang's eyes widened, before narrowing. "Showed you…  _how_ , exactly?"

Ruby fidgeted a bit under Yang's gaze, but held it with honest eyes. "She taught me how to feel her emotions."

Yang visibly flinched in surprise. "She… she did?" she asked quietly.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, she did. Trust me, Yang, she wasn't lying."

Yang swallowed slightly, her eyes dipping back down. Slowly, her hand moved unconsciously to the bite hidden under her jacket. She held it there, her eyes scrunched in concentration. "How… how did it feel?" she asked softly, meeting Ruby's eyes. "Blake's emotions?"

Ruby put a hand to her chin. "Well… it's hard to describe. It was like, what she was feeling was the same thing I was feeling, but… stronger, I guess? Like, she felt happy, so I felt happy, but at the same time I knew the happiness I felt was Blake's, not mine… that made no sense, didn't it?"

Yang shook her head, though a small smile was on her lips at her sister's fumbled explanation. "Not in the slightest."

Ruby let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Okay, um… Blake was feeling a lot of things at the same time, so it was kind of confusing… oh, I know! She… oh…"

"What? What's wrong, Rubes?" Yang asked, concerned.

Ruby bit her lip. "Well, I thought of a good example, but… I'm not sure if Blake would want me to talk about it."

"Why? Is it bad?"

Ruby shrugged. "Kinda? It's something she was feeling at the time, but I didn't really notice until now."

"Sis, I think we're past the point of keeping secrets. If Blake has a problem with it, she can take it up with me later for making you snitch. Now, spill it."

Ruby sighed. "...okay, but it was weird. It felt like… like she disliked something, I guess? But, like, stronger?"

Yang quirked her head. "Stronger?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, like,  _way_  stronger. Like, I felt like it was… crushing me?" she said uncertainly, before nodding again. "Yeah, that sounds right. It felt like something heavy was pressing down on me. But the weird part was, when I felt this… heavy dislike… it was like I felt it towards myself."

Yang's eyes widened, her brow furrowed. "What?"

Ruby just frowned. "Yeah, but, that's the thing. I felt that way towards myself, but at the same time, I  _knew_  it wasn't  _my_  feelings that I felt. It was Blake's. I guess it was like… for a second, I  _was_  Blake, and that's how she felt… that Blake didn't like Blake?" Ruby shook her head, scowling at the ground. "It didn't make sense."

As Ruby fell silent, Yang started mulling over her words.  _Yeah, no kidding. Blake not liking Blake? The heck does that even mean? And 'heavy dislike'? What is she-_

Yang blinked.  _Wait. Dislike, but stronger… does she mean… hate?_

Yang thought about it, nodding slowly.  _Yeah, that makes sense. Explains why it confused Ruby so much. She doesn't hate anything! Of course, she didn't know how to put it in words… wait…_

Yang's brow smoothed out, shocked realization on her face.  _'Blake didn't like Blake…' did she mean Blake… hated Blake?_

_Blake hates herself?_

Yang stared off into the distance.

_...the hell?_

Yang's expression morphed into what could only be described as a determined scowl.  _Okay, as soon as all this Mates and love stuff is over, me and Blake are having a_ long _talk._

_... wait a sec. If Ruby really felt that from Blake… that means…_

She looked at her sister, who was still frowning at the ground. Biting her lip, she asked awkwardly, "So… what did her…  _love_  feel like?"

After a blink of surprise, Ruby's face lit up, her usual thousand-watt smile back in place. "Yang, it was… I don't even know, just…" She let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like contentment.

Yang raised an eyebrow at her sister. "That good, huh?"

Ruby giggled a bit. "I… the closest thing I can think of is… it was like what I feel for you." Yang's eyes bugged out, a sharp question on her lips (just where was her sister going here?), before Ruby continued. "You, dad, Uncle Qrow… Mom…"

Yang's mouth closed, the true implication setting in. It was rare that Ruby would mention her- _their_  mother, so to mention her now…

"It was like what I feel for you guys, but so much… not stronger, but…  _deeper_ … I could just feel that… what Blake was feeling for me… it was never going to end."

Yang stared at Ruby, who had closed her eyes, lost in her own world at the memory. She seemed so… happy. A small smile formed on Yang's lips. "Good for you, Sis. Sounds like one heck of an experience."

Ruby opened her eyes, looking questioningly at Yang. "You could feel it too, y'know."

Yang jerked back, startled. "Oh, uh… I don't know, Ruby… It probably wouldn't work too well for me."

Ruby tilted her head. "Why not? It's actually pretty easy. It just takes a little while to get used to the feeling."

Yang grimaced. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "No, Rubes, I mean… I doubt I'd feel what you felt if I tried to sense Blake's emotions."

"Why?" She thought over what she'd felt from Yang earlier. Something clicked. "Yang, do… do you not think Blake loves you?"

Yang visibly flinched, but then tried to brush it off with a smile and a wave. "What, no! I know Blake loves me… in… some way. Just… not the way you're thinking."

Now Ruby was really confused. "Yang, you heard what she said."

Yang gave a sort of nervous chuckle. "I know what she said, but… I don't think she was really thinking straight. What with her heat last night and these weird bite marks… I don't think she really meant quite what you think."

Ruby could only stare in shock and confusion. What was Yang talking about? It didn't help matters that Yang could barely meet her eyes, her own lavender orbs flicking all over the place, like she didn't know what to focus on.

In a last-ditch attempt to make sense of what the heck was wrong with her sister, Ruby closed her eyes and focused. In just a few seconds, Ruby could see the compact cloud of yellow aura right next to her.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, confused why her sister seemed to be concentrating so hard. "What are you-" Yang gasped. Just then, very briefly, she felt… something. Just a quick flash, but it seemed familiar. It seemed… red.

Ruby's eyes snapped open a second later, looking shocked.

Yang quickly put the seemingly impossible pieces together. "Ruby, did you just-?"

"Yang?" Ruby asked quietly, uncertainly. "Are you… scared?"

Yang's eyes widened. "You… you really did…"

Ruby nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, I did. Sorry, I just… I wanted to know why… Yang, are you scared?"

Yang just stared at Ruby dumbly for a few seconds, before breaking her gaze, staring back down at the ground.

Ruby took her silence as a yes, much to her growing shock. "But… you're Yang! You're not afraid of anything!"

"Ruby…" Yang said softly, not knowing what to say. "It's nothing."

Ruby gave the closest thing she had to a scoff. "It's something! Yang, come on."

"It's nothing, Ruby," Yang said loudly and more forcefully. "It's just something stupid I gotta deal with. It's not your problem."

Yang glared pointedly at the ground. She was determined to just ignore Ruby until she either changed the subject or decided to give up and lea-

"Please, Yang."

Yang felt her heart skip a beat. That tone… Ruby hadn't sounded that…  _broken_  for a long time.

With a small turn of her head, she met Ruby's eyes. Her grey, teary, sadness-filled eyes.

"Please don't lie to me," she begged, her lip quivering.

Yang looked away quickly. Despite everything, a spark of regular annoyance managed to bubble into her mind.  _Low blow, Sis. Sad thing is, you probably don't even know what you're doing._

Yang stayed quiet. Ruby looked at her sadly.  _Maybe Blake was right. Maybe Yang did just need some time to herself…_

"It was different."

Ruby perked up as Yang turned slightly towards her. "What was?"

Yang gave her a long look before letting out a long sigh. "Sis, you know how I've had girlfriends before?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Well…" The blonde cleared her throat awkwardly. "Let's just say last night wasn't my first night…"

"Oh, I know that."

Yang's eyes snapped up, mouth gaping. "Wha…?"

Ruby blushed a little, her eyes drifting to the side. "Our bedroom walls aren't that thick, Yang."

Yang felt her stomach drop. "Wait, you heard… oh, Ruby, I'm  _so_  sorry!"

Ruby just waved her off. "It's fine, Yang. It wasn't that bad. Though... " Her cheeks reddened. "I did start keeping earplugs next to my bed."

Yang buried her face in her hands, completely mortified. "I'm just going to move on and pretend that didn't just happen." Meeting her little sister's eyes again and ignoring her own much deeper blush, Yang continued. "Yeah, I've... had some fun with girls before, but… that's all it was… fun."

Ruby tilted her head, not quite getting it. Yang tried to explain.

"It was just... Something we did, once we were comfortable with each other. Relieve some stress, have a little fun, just… enjoy being with someone."

Ruby nodded, kind of understanding. "Okay, is there something wrong with that?"

Yang shook her head. "Not really, just that while it was fun, that was it. That's as far as things went. I didn't really feel anything… special afterward. But…"

Yang dipped her head down, unconsciously wrapping her arms around herself.

"Last night…"

Ruby blinked in realization. "Did you feel something?" she asked excitedly, scooting closer to Yang. "Something special?"

To her surprise, Yang hugged herself tighter. "I.. I don't know. I felt… something. When I held Weiss in my arms… when I felt Blake curl up next to me… My chest felt… heavy, yet light at the same time. My whole body just felt warm all over. I… I couldn't stop smiling."

As much as the words made Ruby want to jump for joy, the sad, almost broken tone Yang said them in put a cold feeling in Ruby's gut. "Yang… that sounds great! Why do you seem so sad about that?"

Yang shook her head, blinking rapidly. "I… I've never felt like this before, Ruby!" Ruby flinched back at Yang's loud, desperate words. "And this morning, when I woke up and felt Weiss on top of me and Blake next to me, I felt it again! I… I just ignored it and did my usual thing and figured I'd just forget about it or try and figure it out later, but then… Blake shows up with these freaking bites and…" Yang's speech devolved into quick, rapid breaths. To Ruby's horror, tears started to trail down Yang's cheeks.

Ruby did the only thing she could. She threw her arms around her big sister and squeezed as hard as she could.

Yang's breath caught when she felt arms wrap around her. Looking down, she saw her little sister, the little leader's head buried into her chest, giving her the closest thing she could to a bear hug.

Yang stared unblinking for several seconds. When she started breathing again, it was with long, shaky breaths. Yang closed her eyes, resting her chin on top of Ruby's head. Her arms slowly unwrapped themselves from around herself and found their way around Ruby's waist.

The sisters sat in the light of the dying sunset, one simply waiting while the other slowly brought her flow of tears to a stop.

"I'm, scared, Ruby," Yang muttered quietly.

"Why, though?" Ruby asked, voice slightly muffled due to pressing herself into Yang's chest. "Is loving Blake and Weiss that bad?"

Yang stiffened, unsure how to answer. "It… Ruby, I just… I don't want them to leave."

Ruby jerked back, her eyes wide with shock. "Wha…? Yang, what do you mean?"

It took everything Yang had to not break her gaze with Ruby. "I don't… I don't want to love them that way, either of them."

"Why?" Ruby pleaded, desperate for an answer and for Yang to just start making sense.

Yang glanced toward the city, staring out over the blinking lights of Vale's nightlife. "What if I let them get close and… they leave?"

Grey eyes widened. "You really think they'd just leave?"

Yang swallowed uncomfortably. "Well… I don't think they'd want to, but… Blake was all set to run last month… and Weiss has that big-ass company of hers… things could happen, and…"

Ruby shook her head in denial. "Yang, they wouldn't just leave!"

"But they could."

"They wouldn't!"

"But they could!"

"Why would they?!"

"Because-!" Yang's voice caught in her throat, her eyes tearing up. Her head lowered as she said quietly, "Because it's happened before."

Ruby's eyes narrowed in confusion, before…

"Oh…" she said softly in realization.

"Yeah," Yang mumbled. "Oh."

Ruby scooted aside on the bench, turning away from Yang as she rested her arms in her lap. Yang did the same, placing her elbows on her knees as she buried her head in her hands.

After a few moments, Ruby tried to apologize. "Yang… I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No… no, it's… it's okay, Ruby," Yang said as she lifted her head, resting her chin on her palms. "Look, it's… it's not just that I'm afraid of either of them leaving. I don't…" She trailed off, the words hard to say.

"What?" Ruby prodded.

Yang sighed. "...what if I leave them?"

Ruby gaped at Yang's question, before outright smacking Yang on the arm. "That's stupid."

Yang chuckled mirthlessly. "Is it? Raven left dad, and… I'm her daughter. Who knows? Maybe it's genetic."

Ruby frowned at Yang for a few seconds, before crossing her arms. "Yang, show me the picture."

Yang blinked, turning to look at Ruby with a questioning gaze. Then the realization hit her, and she narrowed her eyes at her sister. " _Ruby_ …" Yang droned warningly.

" _Yang_ …" Ruby said in the exact same tone.

The two glared at each other, Yang with a look of warning while Ruby gave what she hoped was a determined glare, but to Yang looked more like an angry pout.

"...you're not gonna give up on this, are you?" Yang deadpanned after five minutes.

"Nope," Ruby said, popping the 'p' sound as she smirked.

Yang stared at her for another minute, before rolling her eyes, defeated. Reaching into her jacket, she felt for the hidden pocket on her left side. From it, she pulled out a wrinkled, folded photograph. She stared at it for a moment.

"Open it," Ruby ordered.

With a long-suffering sigh, Yang did so, though her eyes moved away before she could look at it.

"Yang…" Ruby said, her voice changing from commanding back to soft and caring. "Look at it."

Yang glanced at Ruby, looking into soft grey eyes, before finally focusing on the photo.

In truth, it was nothing special. Every kid probably had a picture just like it, buried in old photo albums on the family bookshelf. But for Yang… it was one of a kind.

In the photo stood a young woman, fresh into her twenties. In what might be the only recorded instance of her outside battle clothes, she wore a simple black skirt and a red t-shirt with a black floral pattern along the waist. She had long, waist-length black hair, and piercing red eyes. She was smiling brightly.

And in her arms, cradled with utmost care, was a four-month-old baby girl. She had a small tuft of blonde hair on her head, her tiny eyes a sparkling shade of lavender. She had a toothless smile on her face, giggling at something just out of camera range.

Yang stared down at the photo. Despite everything, she couldn't stop the slight curve of her lips as she took it in. She shook her head, closing her eyes. "You're still on this, huh?"

Ruby nodded sharply. "Yep. Sorry, Yang, but… I just can't see someone that happy about being a mom just up and leaving. Not without a very good reason, at least."

Yang just chuckled. This conversation used to piss her off to no end, usually ending with hurt feelings and broken furniture. But after all these years, Yang was resigned. Ruby truly believed something, and she would keep on believing it until the truth was blatantly shoved in her face.

Still, Yang had to try.

"You realize you're basing this off of one picture, right? This is your only 'proof' that Raven didn't just take off?"

Ruby nodded again. "Yep."

"Then what do you think happened?"

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno. Like you said, things can happen. Maybe she had to leave. Maybe… for some kind of mission?"

Yang raised an eyebrow at her. "A seventeen-year long mission?"

Ruby pouted at her. "Well, it was just an idea."

Yang grinned at her sister's childishness, a genuine laugh breaking through her lips. "Ruby Rose, you are more stubborn than a Boarbatusk."

Ruby just stuck her nose in the air, in a near perfect imitation of Weiss.

Yang shook her head at her. She gave the photo another once-over, before folding it back up and placing it back in her jacket. "Okay, you made your point. But…" She ran a hand through her hair as the original topic came back to mind. "Ruby, how the hell would we make this work? Are you even okay with the whole 'mates' thing?"

"Yeah."

Yang blinked. "That was fast."

Ruby shrugged. "Well, I'd like to try, anyway. And after feeling what Blake felt… I kinda want to be part of that."

Yang gave her a long look. "You really want to juggle a relationship with Blake and Weiss? How.. I can't even wrap my head around that! Do you even love either of them?"

"Um…" Ruby hesitated, thinking hard. "I… really don't know. Though…" Her cheeks tinted a bit, glancing shyly at Yang. "I think I might be starting to… What about you?"

Yang let out a long breath. "I don't know, Ruby," she droned out tiredly. "I mean… I guess I could see myself with Blake. Yeah, she's mellow and quiet, but that's what I like about her. And… she's not too bad on the eyes, either," she finished with a half-smile.

Ruby nodded, her cheeks tinting as she smiled. "Yeah… what about Weiss?" When Yang gave her a questioning look, she clarified. "You said you felt something for her, too, right?"

Yang frowned in thought, humming under her breath. "Well… yeah… that's kind of new, though." Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Y'know how Weiss hid in the bathroom last night and I brought her out later on? Well, long story short, we… talked a bit."

"What about?"

"Eh… Weiss was just kinda nervous, mostly about the whole 'girl-on-girl' thing. I just lent an ear for her. But…" She trailed off, her head dipping down again.

"What is it, Yang?" Ruby asked.

The blonde was quiet, before letting out a chuckle. "Y'know, it's funny." She lifted her head, looking out over the neon-lit city. "I've been sitting here, thinking over what I said to her last night. Then I thought about that feeling I had this morning, with Weiss and Blake. Now I'm going over the last few months, all we've done together, everything I've said to each of them… And I keep thinking, 'Is this new? Or… has this been building for a while?'" She put her head back down, shaking it slightly. "I just don't know, Sis."

Through it all, Ruby listened silently. As Yang finished, she mulled over what she'd heard, thinking about different options. A few things came to mind, but… one idea stood out over the others.

"Yang?" she asked quietly. Yang turned to her, and Ruby said, "Could we try something?"

"What, Rubes?"

"Could we… do you want to try reading my emotions?"

Yang's eyes widened as she jerked back. "Uh, what?"

"Do you want to try reading my emotions?" Ruby repeated. "Just to see what it's like?"

Yang stared dumbly at her, before scratching the back of her head nervously. "Uh, would that even work, Sis?"

Ruby shrugged. "I think so. I was able to feel you. That's how I found you out here. If I can do it, you should be able to too, right?"

Yang hesitated, then held in a groan when she saw the slight twinkle in Ruby's eyes, signaling that the younger girl was just a few moments away from unleashing the dreaded Puppy Eyes Pout. She sighed, fixing Ruby with a look and a slight grin. "This ends badly, I'm blaming you." Ruby just smiled brightly in response, causing Yang to shake her head, exasperated. "So how do we do this? Hold hands or something?"

"No…" Ruby started, contemplating. "Blake said we have to… push our aura outwards, and… look through it, I guess? That's what it seemed like when I did it?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Look through my aura, huh? That's… kinda vague."

Ruby's shoulders slumped helplessly. "It's hard to describe. Just, push out your aura and… you just kind of figure it out as it happens. Does that make any sense?"

Yang smirked at Ruby's attempts. "I think I get the gist of it."

"Oh!" Ruby suddenly perked up. "And close your eyes. That makes it a little easier… at least, it did for me."

"Gotcha," Yang said, closing her eyes.

_Might as well give it a shot, if only to make Ruby happy. Okay, so push out my aura… I guess… like this?_

Yang focused on her aura and pushed, imagining a glow of yellow seeping out from her body as she did. And after a few seconds…

"Whoa… Ruby, is that ball of red… you?"

She heard Ruby giggle. "Does it look kinda cloudy and wispy?"

"Yeah?"

Right before her closed eyes, the mass of red aura seemed to glow, brightening a shade lighter. "Yep, that's me!" Ruby said cheerfully.

Yang chuckled a bit. "Wow, uh… this is different. Okay, I can… 'see' you now… so how do I feel your emotions?"

"Um…" Yang could just picture the look of concentration on Ruby's face. "Try to… try to reach out with your aura and touch mine. Like this."

Yang flinched a little when a wispy tendril of red started to stretch away from the main mass of Ruby's aura. It edged closer to her, but stopped about halfway between her and Ruby.

"Uh… okay. Gotta say, Sis, we're hittin' about an eight-point-five on the weirdness scale here. I'll, uh… I'll give it a shot."

Yang tried to visualize it: a mass of wispy aura, a small trail of yellow slowly pulling away from it. To her great surprise, she could actually 'see' it; she could 'see' her own aura reaching out towards her sister's, almost like the two masses of aura were going to shake hands or something.

Before she knew it, Yang had closed the distance. Their auras touched, red and yellow mixing.

They both gasped.


	11. Emoting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/11/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

**Earlier…**

_Spin_. Lightning Dust.  _Click!_

_**BOOOOM!** _

A robot exploded.

 _Spin_. Fire Dust.  _Click!_

_**BOOOOM!** _

A robot melted.

 _Spin._  Ice Dust.  _Click!_

_**BOOOOM!** _

A robot froze in its tracks. Literally.

Weiss' body moved like it had a mind of its own, dodging and leaping around the room. There was no thought, no strategy. Just straight instinct. Like a girl possessed, she felled training bots left and right, though not a single one was cut or slashed by her rapier. Each one met its end in a violent, spectacular explosion of Elemental Dust, which Weiss' thumb kept changing the type of every shot.

The room was nearly empty of students. Most had fled the room after a particularly excessive blast of Earth Dust sent a robot flying so hard and far across the room that two freshmen nearly got crushed in its path. The few who were brave enough to risk the heiress' wrath had wisely retreated to the upper stands, so they could watch the unfolding carnage in relative safety.

Not that Weiss noticed. Truthfully, she had yet to have a coherent thought since entering the room, her mind distracted by its needed reliance on motor control. Still, certain words and phrases kept springing to mind, even as she evaded strike after strike.

_...mates… in heat… animals… White Fang… no better… took everything… tired of… pushed around… don't want to force you… biting one another… betrayal… no less… loved…_

_Spin._ Ice Dust.  _Click!_

_**BOOOOM!** _

_Spin._ Earth Dust.  _Click!_

…

... _Spin._ Lightning Dust.  _Click!_

…

Weiss looked down at Myrtenaster.

The Dust chamber was empty.

She spun the cylinder all the way around.

 _All_  of the Dust chambers were empty.

Instinct screamed at her to duck. She did so, just avoiding the metal fist that passed through where her head had just been. With an upward slash, Weiss decapitated the robot, sending its metallic corpse skidding across the ground.

Realizing that that had been the last active robot, Weiss' hand automatically moved towards her scroll, strapped to her hip, ready to call for more. With a jerk, she stopped herself.

She blinked.

As if seeing for the first time, Weiss looked around her. What had once been a training hall had now become a scrapyard. Disembodied robot limbs were everywhere, and the whole room smelled of ozone and burning metal.

Weiss took in the carnage. She was breathing hard, and her arms suddenly felt like lead. She placed Myrtenaster back in its sheath, and her shoulders slumped. She suddenly felt very tired. She turned away from the destruction, not even having enough energy to spin on her heel. She walked across and out of the room, never noticing the flabbergasted and, in some cases, terrified faces watching as she left.

As if they had a mind of their own, her feet carried her down the hallways. She passed a few students, none of which she said anything to. She thought she heard someone try to say something to her, but she didn't seem to notice.

A cool breeze made her dimly aware that she was now outside. Her head, which had never once stopped staring at the ground, lifted as she came to a stop. In front of her was a tree.

* * *

_Weiss looked away from Ruby, who was chatting away about some new weapon modification she had seen, not having realized that Weiss had tuned her out a few minutes ago. Weiss' eyes scanned the groups of student, when she spied a familiar bow. Looking closer, she could see Blake sitting under a tree, enraptured by a large novel in her lap._

_Apparently sensing eyes on her, Blake looked up. She blinked as she and Weiss made eye contact, before giving a kind, if awkward smile. She sent a little wave at Weiss._

_Weiss, surprised, gave a smile and wave of her own._

_Blake's smile widened a little bit, before returning her attention to her book._

* * *

Weiss stared at the tree. Without thinking, she moved underneath it and sat down.

She just sat there, listening to the crickets chirping as the sky darkened. Words kept playing in her head, the voices that had said those words starting to blur together. She tuned them out.

She felt… tired. And angry… though, whether by time or exhaustion, the utter rage she had been in earlier had bubbled down to a simmer. Not even nearly gone, but… at least she could think straight again.

"Why, Blake?" she asked aloud. When only the crickets answered, her thoughts turned inward.  _I was trying. I was blocking it out; I was blocking_ _ **him**_ _out. The words, the thoughts… I had a lid on them._

Brown ears and a yellow tail flashed into her mind.

_Velvet and Sun… I'm almost there. I see them nearly every day, but I'm almost to the point… They're not Velvet the Rabbit Faunus and Sun the Monkey Faunus, they're just Velvet and Sun. No different than me… at least, not in the way that matters. I was so close to that point…_

She closed her eyes as tears trailed down her face.

_**So why do this to me?!** _

Five minutes. In five minutes, Blake's words and revealed actions had utterly destroyed Weiss' month-long attempt of mental reworking. The carefully, painstakingly crafted barrier she had erected around her thoughts and actions had shattered, every repressed thought surging forward in a single moment.

_Blake… made me her mate._

_Mates._

_Humans do not have mates._

Animals  _have mates._

_**Faunus are nothing but-** _

"NO!" Weiss shouted aloud, before slamming her hand over her mouth. After a moment, her eyes slid closed, her hands clenching into fists.

 _No,_ she repeated in her head.  _No, they are_ not _animals. They are_ not _less than human. Those are_ not _my thoughts,_ not  _my ideas. Those are_ his  _ideas,_ his  _views. I. Am not._ **Him.**

_Dust damn it, I'm crying again._

Weiss quickly wiped away her tears. She glanced around the grounds, finding herself completely alone. She let out a long sigh, wrapping her arms around herself.

_Why, Blake?_

_Why do this? Why make us your Mates? Why all of us?_

_Why me?_

Weiss knew very little about Faunus Mates. The little bit of research she'd managed to do between schoolwork and training had not gone very far into that aspect of Faunus culture. She knew of the history, from the first meeting of Men and Faunus, up until the Faunus war. She learned various Faunus customs, mostly political and social necessities. Faunus Mates, however, were apparently saved for later volumes than the one she'd been reading.

Still, what little she did know, mostly from passing references or cues for social gatherings, was that Mates were an important concept to Faunus kind. Though she'd apparently not fully understood how important until recently.

And apparently… she was now Blake's.

 _Why?_  she thought desperately.  _How? Why would she do this to us? And why now? Why not later? Is it…_

_Is it because of last night?_

Weiss could feel the heat rushing to her face as memories replayed in her mind.

The previous night was… an experience. One that Weiss had never imagined herself having, never even given it a thought. Now it was all she could think about.

It had been... Nothing like what she'd thought. As she'd gotten older, Weiss had always had a rather clinical view on sex. The act of reproduction, of creating life. From her earliest teachings, that was all it was, a sentiment her private teachers planted in her no doubt on her father's orders. Of course, as she aged into her teenage years and began to discover the world outside the bubble she'd been placed in, she'd realized there was much,  _much_  more to intercourse than she'd been taught. However, between lessons, training, and the duties of an heiress, she'd never had the chance to look into anything. There wasn't the time. It wasn't important. It was something she would learn about later in life, in the far future.

Leave it to her team to shatter yet  _another_  of her world views.

It was… Dust, how could she even describe it? Like Ruby, it had been her first sexual encounter… and her second… and her third…

Weiss' face burned crimson.

Definitely not a typical first time.

And yet… she didn't regret it. Not even remotely. Why?

Because of what she'd learned. Not so much about the act (though she had learned some rather…  _interesting_  things about female-female sex), but rather, what she'd learned about her teammates.

Ruby was shy and bashful, yet at the same time, firm. Her nervousness had been obvious, but not cripplingly so. To Weiss' embarrassment, though they were both inexperienced, Ruby had, likely without realizing it, taken charge, and Weiss couldn't help but follow. Though, even with the situation, Ruby was still Ruby, so caring, compassionate and considerate, that Weiss never felt uncomfortable with her.

Yang had been gentle and patient.

Yang. Gentle and patient.

Those three words shouldn't be able to exist in the same sentence… not without the words "is not" separating them.

Yet, that's exactly what she'd been. The girl was made of solid muscle and her hands were rough with callouses, yet her touch was feather soft. She let Weiss set the pace, which was obviously much slower than Yang would have liked, yet Yang never once complained. She simply smiled with an almost alien softness, one that Weiss couldn't help but return.

And Blake…

Blake was… beyond description. The whole time she never said a word, which Weiss had learned was what usually happened when a Faunus purposefully gave into their heat. But she didn't need to speak. It was almost as if she could read Weiss' mind. Like Yang, Blake let Weiss set the pace, but it was more than that. Whereas Ruby had  _taken_  charge, Blake had given it. She gave Weiss total control of the situation and the soft smile on her lips said why: she wanted Weiss to be happy. That was all there was to it.

And there was no denying it; Having Blake curl up at her side, purring loudly as she rested her head on Weiss' shoulder, was simply the cutest thing Weiss had ever seen.

The main thing Weiss had learned, however, was this: throughout the night, no matter who she was with at the moment, Weiss felt the same thing… safe. Whether she was with Ruby, Yang, or Blake, she felt safe, happy… cared for.

Weiss had, through complete chance, learned the difference between having sex and making love.

_And last night was definitely the latter._

Which made the current situation all the worse.

Weiss lifted her hand, reaching into her shirt collar until she could feel it: the small ridges of scabbed teeth marks. Its existence baffled her. At no point in the night did she remember Blake ever biting her, Ruby, or Yang. Past that, though, she was more confused as to how it was still there.

If Blake had bitten her at some point after she'd fallen asleep (which must be what happened, it was the only thing that made sense), then, even asleep, Weiss' aura should have healed the wound by now. There shouldn't be any bruising or scars; her aura should have…

Weiss' eyes widened.

" **In order to create that bond, two Faunus have to give a portion of their aura to their partner…"**

 _Blake's aura. She… she_ injected _me with her aura. It must be keeping the bite from healing._

_There… there's a piece of Blake inside me._

Weiss suddenly felt very ill. Aura was a Hunter's life. It healed them, protected them. Some even believed that aura was a person's soul, made tangible to protect the body it inhabited.

And now Weiss had a piece of Blake's floating around inside of her.

Weiss' hands clenched again in a desperate attempt to calm her skyrocketing nerves. Calling on her lessons, she closed her eyes and looked inward.

As important as aura was, it came with weakness all its own, though few seemed to realize it. From Grimm blood to poisons to even rare Semblances, there were several, if rare, ways a Hunter's aura could be compromised.

And a Hunter without aura was as good as dead.

As such, Weiss knew how to scan her own aura for defects or oddities. It was a lesser-known skill, but with the money her father had shelled out for private tutors, Weiss had easily found someone who could teach it to her (along with a myriad of other obscure skills her father had deemed 'necessary' for her to know).

So it was little issue for Weiss to scan her body, searching out her own aura. Like a reflection of the frigid personally she sometimes showed, Weiss' aura was a well of uniform white, clean and pristine.

Well, except for the pitch black shadow floating near the center of it.

Weiss crinkled her nose. It was one thing to see and feel the bite on her shoulder, it was another to see a piece of foreign aura hovering in the middle of her own. What was strangely disturbing was just how obviously alien it was. Despite the wispy, almost fluid way her and Blake's aura appeared, the black shadow of aura stayed uniform, despite it looking like it should mix and fade into the sea of white aura surrounding it.

Weiss 'stared' at the piece of aura for what felt like an eternity. The foreign aura was obviously what was keeping the bite from healing fully. So maybe if it was removed…

Weiss frowned. Something felt…  _wrong_  when she thought about expelling Blake's aura from her body, but she couldn't explain why. Like a lingering feeling in the back of her mind, so close to being remembered, yet remaining forgotten. Weiss shoved the feeling away.

 _I didn't ask for this,_  Weiss repeated in her mind. Yet curiosity lingered in her mind.  _I wonder…_  She mused as she 'looked' at the wisp of black aura.

Not quite sure what she was doing, Weiss tried to 'reach' for the foreign aura. She knew how to manipulate her own aura to focus in different parts of her body, so it shouldn't be too difficult to-

Weiss inhaled sharply, her eyes flying open. She took a slow, shuddering breath.

It was faint, an echo weakened by time and distance, but Weiss felt it all the same.

When she 'touched' the aura, a wave of emotions washed over her. A soft sort of happiness, an urge of protectiveness, and a very tender emotion that Weiss didn't feel comfortable naming.

Weiss felt them all.

And yet none of them were hers.

Weiss sat there, absorbing it all. Her feeble attempts to explain or deny what she was feeling petered out quickly.

 _Is that really what she feels?_  Weiss asked herself. She huffed in frustration, feeling even more conflicted. Her eyes slid closed, focusing back on the extra aura inside her, questioning what to do.

…

... _huh?_

Weiss' eyes blinked open. She looked around in confusion. There was no one around, nothing that could have disturbed her. She frowned at the ground.  _Maybe…_

Her eyes slid closed again. A few moments later…

Her eyes opened, her brow wrinkled in thought.  _There it was again! Almost like a… tugging sensation? On my aura?_

Determined, Weiss shut her eyes and purposefully focused on the phantom feeling. It was weak, but distinct. Like her aura was being… pulled… in two different directions. Curious, Weiss, eyes closed, turned her head towards one pull, upwards and a little to the left…

Weiss' mouth popped open in shock.

It was a second mass of aura. That… shouldn't be possible. Yes, there were individuals who could sense other people's aura, but Weiss was not one of them. And even if she was… this was nothing like her textbooks had described.

 _Someone else's aura… how could I…?_  That's when she noticed the color.  _This mass of aura… solid black, surrounded by violet… just like…_

She 'looked' at the aura inside her.

_Blake…_

Weiss felt the tug again, a little stronger than before. A small wisp of white aura stretched outward, towards the mass of black. Weiss focused on stopping it, but…

She 'looked' at her aura, then at Blake's, then back again.

_I wonder if…_

* * *

Back in the dorm, Blake was curled up on her bed. She chewed her lip nervously as she tried to focus on the book open before her. Ever since Ruby had left to find her sister, Blake had poured over every book she had on Faunus relationships, even resorting to searching the web with her scroll, trying to find a comprehensive way of explaining to her potential Mates exactly what that meant. However, she kept hitting the same roadblock.

Humans.

Outside of that single book, she could find almost nothing, but NOTHING, about Faunus/human mating. Oh sure, there were plenty of references to human and Faunus  _relationships_ , from social interaction to dating to even Faunus/human marriage. But when it came to a Faunus taking a human Mate, from Mate's Mark and beyond, there was absolutely nil on the subject. As for taking  _multiple_  human Mates? Forget about it.

Not to say she had found  _absolutely_  nothing. She was able to piece together a few coherent points from some of the books and a couple web sources. But the information was so barebones that Blake still felt like she was going into this blind.

The most infuriating part, however, was simply how simple it  _should_  be. As she read each book, everything just made sense. Everything clicked for her, even the most minute obscure details. But it was when she took a step back and looked at the information from a different angle that she realized just how much trouble she was in. Specifically, that of a human.

When she read a book as a Faunus, everything made sense.

When she read the same book with a human mindset, one who knew next to nothing about Faunus or the basic life lessons that you would only learn growing up as a Faunus, everything fell apart.

Scent marking? Pack hierarchy? Aura pacts? How could Blake even begin to explain any of this to her Ma-  _her teammates_.

_Get a grip, Blake. Nothing's certain, yet. At best, you have one maybe._

Blake sighed, falling backwards. Her cat ears twitched when they were smashed against her pillow, making her run a hand over her head to straighten them out. As her fingers passed over her left ear, she tugged at it gently, making her flinch.

 _I've made such a mess of everything_.

This time yesterday they were all goofing off and playing in an arcade, the best of friends. Now they were separated, at least two of them in emotional turmoil, all because she couldn't keep her teeth to herself.

Blake tensed as her instincts kicked in once again, this time telling her to get up and move. As always, Blake ignored it, for multiple reasons. The main one being that she knew this feeling. It was one she'd felt numerous times over the years, every time she was uneasy or conflict arose:

Blake wanted to run.

She let out a huff, frustrated with herself.  _That's always my answer to a problem: run from it. But I can't this time. This is my fault, my choice. I will not run from it, from_ them. _Not again._

She pulled herself up to a sitting position, lifting one of the books into her lap.  _Okay, maybe if I look-_

She gasped.

_Confusion. Frustration. Curiosity._

That feeling. Emotions not her own, yet felt just as clearly. And each one was tinged with an air of slight cold, like… frost.

Blake closed her eyes, pushing out her aura, needing to 'see' what she felt.

There it was: a thin trail of white aura grazing against her own. Blake followed the trail it made, inner eyes landing on a familiar cloud of snow-white aura.

_Weiss…_

_Is she reaching out to me?_  Blake couldn't help but feel hopeful at the thought, but shoved it down to think clearly.

_Easy, Blake. Maybe… can I answer her?_

With a bit of focus, Blake stretched out her own tendril of aura.

* * *

Weiss was amazed. She could feel it, a well of emotions. Like the small piece of aura before, only this was fresh, raw.

_Frustration. Sorrow. Hope. Happiness. Guilt._

With a gasp, Weiss snapped back to coherency.

 _That… that was…_  Weiss looked down at her hands. They were trembling.

She tightened them into fists. She took a few breaths, trying to bring her now thundering heart back down to normal.

 _That was… something,_  she finally settled on.  _They… they felt so real… just as real as my own emotions, but… different._  She tried to remember exactly what she'd felt from Blake.

_...does she really feel that bad?_

Weiss shook her head.  _No… no, I don't know enough about this… whatever it is. These feelings could… be faked, or… exaggerated, maybe. I need more information. Maybe if I… what is…?_

As Weiss closed her eyes to attempt finding Blake's aura again, she was surprised, and a little frightened, to see a thin string of black aura reaching towards her, just inches away from touching her own. Before she could react, the two tendrils of aura met.

_Curiosity. Heistance. Hope. Questioning._

Weiss fought the urge to blink. That felt… different from before. The emotions she'd felt before were unfocused, ambient. These ones, however, almost seemed to be concentrated, like they were being directed. Directed… towards herself?

Weiss thought it over.  _If these are really Blake's emotions, and this is how she feels at the moment… and she's purposefully directing them towards me… is she trying to… communicate?_

New emotions bubbled up.  _Relief. Happiness. Fear. Apology. Sadness._

Weiss frowned.  _Apology? She feels sorry?_  Her frown morphed into a scowl.  _Does she think an apology will make up for… all this?!_

Unbeknownst to her, her emotions reflected her thoughts.

* * *

Blake's brief joy at having Weiss 'hear' her emotional call was quickly wiped away by Weiss' emotions after she tried to transmit a feeling of apology across the link.

_Surprise. Anger. Betrayal._

The last one cut the deepest, but Blake could not refute Weiss' feelings. After what Blake had done, Weiss had every right to feel betrayed. All Blake could do was respond as best she could.

* * *

_...seriously, how could Blake believe a simple apology could make up for such an underhanded, possibly life-changing action? What could possibly…_

Weiss' thoughts paused as new emotions trickled through.

_Sadness. Resignation. Understanding. Acceptance. Apology._

Weiss felt her scowl soften as she tried to put the new feelings into context.  _Resignation, understanding… she knows that I'm angry and… accepts it? Sadness… my anger makes her… sad?_

Weiss' expression turned thoughtful.  _Blake, she… you really feel that way?_

* * *

_Confusion. Comprehension. Nervousness. Questioning._

Blake let out a sigh. She was fairly confident that Weiss got the message, but, Weiss being Weiss, she needed to be sure.

_Yes, Weiss. You have every reason to be angry. I'm so sorry._

* * *

_Understanding. Acceptance. Apology._

The same feelings as before, only stronger, sharper.

A small voice in the back of her head (a distressingly familiar, deep voice) kept whispering doubt to Weiss. How does she know this is real? What if she's being manipulated? What if Blake is faking these so-called emotions?

And yet, the more Weiss felt, the quieter that voice became. Even considering that the emotions she was feeling from Blake were fake just seemed…  _wrong._  And what scared her was that she had no idea why.

Weiss thought over the last things she'd felt from Blake, a simple confirmation of her feelings. No malevolence, no ulterior motives, just a genuine regret of what she'd done.

While some part of Weiss was relieved, she mostly felt more confused and conflicted.

_Then why, Blake? If you are really sorry for doing this to me, why do it at all?_

* * *

_Relief. Confusion. Anxiety. Frustration. Questioning. Need._

Blake grimaced at the onslaught of new emotions. The brief sense of relief had calmed her a bit, but everything else was almost overwhelming. It was the last two that bothered her the most.

A sense of questioning and need.

The meaning was obvious. Weiss wanted an answer,  _needed_  an answer. The problem was that, while she knew Weiss wanted an answer, Blake wasn't sure what the question was.

_Confusion, frustration. Anxiety… that could mean a lot of things. Confusion… Everything about this situation would be confusion to her… Weiss, what…_

A new emotion trickled through, though not as prominent as the others. It was in the background, white noise against the stronger of Weiss' emotions, like an undercurrent beneath everything Weiss was feeling.

_Betrayal._

Much as it hurt, Blake focused on that weak feeling, adding it in with everything else. After a moment, it clicked.

_Betrayal, mixed with confusion, anxiety, a need for answers… she's asking why I betrayed her._

Tears pooled in the corners of Blake's eyes.  _Weiss, I didn't mean to betray you. I never wanted to hurt you. I just…_ Blake's thoughts trailed off. Her mind was getting jumbled, unable to put what she felt into words. She brought her arms around herself, her ears pinning back as she lost herself to her own emotions. She tried to focus on Weiss, Ruby and Yang coming to mind as well. As she thought of them, and of Weiss' unspoken question, she did the only thing she could: let the Link say what words couldn't.

* * *

Weiss waited for some form of response from Blake, a wait that slowly stretched on for minutes. All she could feel was a vague sense of… indecision, maybe? Weiss' impatience was slowly shifting to anger the longer she waited. She was  _so_  close to getting some form of explanation as to why Blake would…  _mate_  to her like this, and why her of all people. And when she was on the cusp of being answered, suddenly now Blake became tight-lipped, or tight… whatever the emotion-sensing equivalent of tight-lipped was?

_Blake, just tell me. Tell me why. Tell me why you did this to me, to Ruby, to Yang. You should have known how I feel about this. How I…_

…

_How… I…_

_I… oh my…_

One emotion. Just one emotion came across their linked aura. Just one emotion that said more than any words ever could.

To Weiss it felt like multiple emotions, all wrapped together. Affection, Conviction, Protectiveness, Happiness, just to name a few. They were so many… yet, they seemed small, just parts, pieces of a larger whole. And put all together, the final product was… it was so clear. Blake lo-

Weiss' eyes flew open.

The connection between them shattered, Weiss' aura retreating from Blake's like it had been burned. Weiss was breathing heavily, her heart a jackhammer against her chest.

Weiss stared ahead, her eyes still facing the same direction they had been when closed. She was able to pick out exactly which window was their dorm.

_That… Blake…_

Weiss swallowed reflexively. She felt a drop of water hit her hand, dimly aware of the tears trailing down her face. With a deep, shuddering breath, she forced her eyes away from the window, looking down at her hands.

Weiss knew that feeling. She  _knew_  it. It was slightly different, but similar enough… to what she felt for her sister… her mother…

She shook her head.  _No… no, if… if that's really how Blake feels… if she really thinks she feels_ that _way towards me, she's not going to tell me through some… Faunus mate ability that I don't fully understand. She's going to… I want her to say to my face, in her own words._

With a shuddering breath, Weiss pushed herself to her feet, wiping away her tears as she did. With new purpose, she marched away from the tree, and back into the school.


	12. Overcoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/12/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

Blake sat in the dorm room, staring at nothing. Weiss' reaction to her last feelings were… worrying. Confusion; of course. A sense of Wonder, positive, and a little flattering. But then… Panic. So much so that Weiss forcibly broke off the connection.

Blake let out a sad, frustrated huff. In trying to show what she felt for Weiss, she'd overwhelmed the heiress, probably scaring her off.

 _Great, just great, Blake,_  she thought dejectedly.  _Weiss' first time using a Mate's Link, and you scared her so much she ran from it. Just perfect._

She leaned back against the wall, banging her head softly against it in the process. She glared up at Yang's bunk, cursing her own stupidity.

Blake's wallowing in self-pity was interrupted by the doorknob turning, her cat ears perking up at the sound. Her eyes went to the door, and she nearly jumped when the focus of her thoughts walked hesitantly into the room.

"W-Weiss," Blake stuttered out in surprise.

Weiss ignored her, opting instead to softly close the door. Only then did she meet Blake's eyes. "Blake," she greeted, her voice sounding restrained.

She walked with a purpose, and sat on the edge of Blake's bed.

Blake opened her mouth to speak, but froze when Weiss fixed her with piercing blue eyes. Her voice was hard. "What was that?"

Blake flinched at her cold tone, confused by the question. "What was…?"

Weiss huffed in frustration. She brought a hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. "A few minutes ago, I was sitting out in the courtyard. I was scanning my aura to check it for any foreign aura…  _your_  aura… and while I was doing that, I felt this… pull." She met Blake's gaze again. "I 'saw', for lack of a better term, a mass of black and violet aura within the school, right where our dorm is. Blake…" Her eyes flicked away for a moment as she swallowed nervously. "Blake, was that…?"

Blake, pulling herself to sit on the edge of her bed as well, nodded. "Yes, Weiss. That was my aura."

Weiss nodded stiffly back, accepting the answer. "So then, the…  _emotions_  I felt from that aura? What were they?"

Blake nodded again. "Those were mine, too."

Confusingly, Weiss shook her head. "No, I-I mean…" She stuttered a little, nerves working their way into her voice. She cleared her throat, and tried again. "I already assumed that the emotions were yours. I meant, how was I able to feel them? How could I 'see' your aura like that?"

Amber eyes widened in understanding. It was her turn to gulp as she tried to work out how she would explain this very Faunus concept to Weiss of all people. She soon gave up and decided to take a page out of Ruby and Yang's books: be truthful and blunt.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "It's called a Mate's Link. It's how Mated Faunus are able to feel each other's emotions. As for how, the way it works is that one Faunus gives a small portion of their aura to their would-be Mate. Once that has been done, that Faunus can then use that piece of aura as a… a beacon, I suppose, allowing them to seek out their Mate's aura. Likewise, the Mated Faunus can do the same, using that small portion of aura inside them to seek out it's source, the aura it came from."

The entire time she spoke, Blake watched Weiss' expression, gauging her reaction to her explanation. Weiss kept her face blank the whole time, except for the slight tightening of her lips near the end.

Weiss was silent for a moment, before looking off to the side, mumbling. "So that's how…" She looked back at Blake, her eyes hesitant. "Can I ask you something?"

Blake's ears perked up slightly. "Yes, of course!" A curious Weiss was much better than an angry one. Though the nervous way Weiss wouldn't meet her eyes…

"Is it… with this… Mate's Link… is it possible to…  _fake_  emotions?"

Blake could actually feel her heart skip a beat. Her ears shot straight up, her eyes widening. "Fake… no!" Weiss visibly flinched at how loud Blake's answer had been. Blake's ears pinned back as she winced. "Sorry, but… Weiss, you can't fake anything across… that would defeat the entire purpose of… oh, I don't know how to explain…"

Weiss watched worriedly as Blake struggled to find her words. Without a thought, she reached out and gently grabbed Blake's shoulder. The Faunus girl stiffened, shocked out of her confused panic. Weiss, surprised by her own actions, took a moment to collect her thought, before speaking softly. "Just… calm down and answer as best you can."

Blake stare blankly, before swallowing slightly, nodding. Weiss removed her hand as Blake's eyes fell to the carpet After a few moments, she spoke. "You know the myths behind auras? About how they're actually our souls?"

Weiss nodded, a bit perplexed by Blake's turn in the conversation.

"Well… I believe them." Weiss' eyes widened a bit at the blunt admission, but Blake carried on. "Most Faunus do, actually. I've never met a Faunus who didn't, or at least, one who told me they didn't. It's something we're taught from a young age, that we're meant to hold onto throughout our lives."

Weiss nodded, fascinated. Her research hadn't mentioned anything like this yet. "Okay… so…?"

"So…" Blake continued, "That's what makes sharing our aura with our Mates so important. We're not just sharing our energy or strength. We… I… gave you a piece of my soul."

A chill went down Weiss' spine at Blake's words. The small feeling of scarred teeth marks brushing against the fabric of her shirt suddenly felt a lot more pronounced.

Blake went on. "That piece of my soul will always be connected to the rest of me; it's a direct link to my soul." She turned to face Weiss, a tentative, nervous smile on her lips. "That's why I know you can't fake emotions across a Mate's Link. I couldn't hide how I feel from you if I wanted to."

Weiss gazed at her, letting the new information sink in. Blake's words… the implications…

"Wait." She frowned as a thought struck her. "Earlier, you said that you could only feel my emotions if I gave you permission. How is that possible if you have a direct link to my soul?"

Blake grimaced slightly. "It's… complicated."

Weiss blinked, then raised an eyebrow. "Most things are, until you explain them out loud. Can you try?"

Blake huffed slightly. "Well… it's not complicated so much as it's… awkward. You're right, usually with a Mate's Link, it works both ways. Both Faunus give each other a Mate's Mark, and then they're pretty much an open book to their partner."

Weiss grimaced. "That sounds a tad…  _invasive_ , isn't it?"

Blake bobbed her head in a not-quite-nod. "I know it  _seems_  that way, but it's meant to bring the Mates closer together, help them complete each other." At Weiss' confused look, she tried to clarify. "Okay, um… have you ever seen a couple where one of them is upset, and the other has to guess what's wrong to try and help?"

Weiss swallowed suddenly, her gaze dipping. "Yes…"

Blake hesitated at her response, but pushed it aside for the moment. "A Mate's Link is meant to help in situations like that. If a Faunus was distressed, all it would take is a quick 'glance' through the Link, and their Mate would know what they're feeling. If they're upset, angry, sad, frustrated, whether they want someone to talk to or need some space. It's supposed to help Mates resolve issues, help support each other."

Weiss wasn't convinced. "I don't know, Blake. That just seems like a massive invasion of privacy."

Blake scratched at her ear absently, thinking of a response. "Maybe it just makes more sense to Faunus." She sighed. "We are, quite simply, part animal. Because of that, most everything we do is fueled by our emotions. How we act, how we  _re_ act… it's all based off of our emotions, which can sometimes lead us to overreact or be impulsive. So having someone who knows exactly how you're feeling… someone who will support you or rein you back… be your safety net…" she said with a small chuckle. "It's… comforting."

Weiss nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Okay… I  _kind_  of understand. I can see how having someone that…  _close_  could be a comfort, but… all the time?"

Blake swallowed, forcing a small smile. "Well, if it helps… you don't have to worry about that."

Weiss frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Um…" Blake grasped her arm as she searched for an explanation. "The way this is  _supposed_  to work is that two Faunus give a portion of their aura to each other, so they will always be connected and can always feel one another. But…" She sighed, giving Weiss a sidelong look. "...you're human, which… complicates things."

Weiss felt even more confused. "How so?"

"... a human can't create a Mate's Mark." She stared into Weiss' eyes, gauging her reaction. "It's something to do with a difference in biology. I don't really understand everything myself, but from what I can gather, me not having a Mate's Mark of my own… limits me a bit."

At Weiss' slight head tilt, she elaborated. "Okay, basically, you can use that little bit of my aura inside you, and have a direct Link to the rest of me whenever you want; you'll always be able to know how I'm feeling. However, since I don't have any of your aura inside me, I can't access your emotions the same way. All I can do is reach out to the piece of my own aura inside you, and then all I could get is a vague sense of what you're feeling. The only way I can truly feel what you do is… if you let me."

Wide blue eyes stared back at her. Blake watched as Weiss processed what she'd been told. After a moment, the heiress broke eye contact, staring down at her hands in thought. Suddenly, she shook her head, frowning. "Blake…" she murmured softly, her brows brought together, "It sounds like… you don't have much control over… Mating me." Her cheeks tinted at the end.

Blake gave a small shrug in response. "Its…  _limiting_ , yes."

Weiss shook her head again, harder. "But… then why?"

Now Blake tilted her head. "Why what?"

"Wh- why?!" Weiss suddenly leapt to her feet, whirling around to stare down at the Faunus. "Why are you… Blake, this… this sounds massive! Enormous! This Mating business sounds like it's one of the most important things you could do! So why… why…" She trailed off, her head tilting down, hair covering her eyes.

Blake's ears dropped in worry. "Why what, Weiss?"

She flinched back as Weiss' head snapped up, her eyes wild and wide. "Why me?!"

Amber eyes widened in turn at Weiss' loud, almost desperate yell. Her ears pinned back as Weiss went on, voice quieter, if only slightly. "Why me? For that matter, why Ruby, why Yang? If Mating is so important and…  _intimate_ , why choose people you can't fully experience it with? If it works best with another Faunus, then why…" She took a shuddering breath, her eyes misting. "Why me?" she whispered softly, eyes lowering again.

Only to raise in surprise as her arms were gripped softly by soft, strong hands.

"You're right."

Weiss stared up incredulously at the girl holding her.

Blake swallowed nervously, nodding a bit. "You're right. It would make more sense for me to Mate another Faunus."

Weiss just shook her head. "But then…"

"Weiss… out in the courtyard… do you remember the last thing I felt?"

Red entered Weiss' cheeks as she mumbled a response. "Yes…"

"Do you know what it was?" Blake asked hopefully.

"...I… I think so, but…" Weiss shook her head in denial. "There… there's no way…"

"Yes, it was, Weiss," Blake responded, almost desperately. "That's really how I feel, I… I lo-"

"No!" Weiss pulled out of Blake's grip, holding up a finger at her. "No, no, y-you don't, you can't, I…" She took a step back, looking away from the hurt on Blake's face. "I-I'm a Schnee a-and you're a Faunus, how… how could you even…" She turned around, holding her arms around herself as she tried to control her quickening breath.

It was silent for a moment, Weiss not daring to turn around and face the hurt Blake must have been feeling.

"I respect you."

Blake's calm voice broke the silence, causing Weiss to tense up. The heiress kept her head down and her body away, even as Blake went on, her voice soft and calm. "Weiss, do you remember when we first met? When I first saw you, I was  _so_  sure you were just like the stories: a pretty little heiress hiding behind her father's name."

Weiss flinched at her words, but the lack of malice in her tone kept Weiss quiet.

"But as the days went on? As you slowly opened up to Ruby, smiled a little at Yang's jokes? I started to see that I was wrong, I started to see less Schnee and more Weiss. And then, after you found out about… what I am…" Blake took a shuddering breath. "After everything came out and you knew about me and… the White Fang… you didn't turn me away… you gave me a chance. More than that, you… you're trying to learn." Weiss tilted her head ever-so-slightly in confusion. "I know about the book, Weiss."

Weiss whipped around, eyes wide with shock. Blake offered a small smirk of a smile, tapping the side of her head. "Night vision, remember?"

Weiss' cheeks tinted horribly as her head dipped in embarrassment. "Drat. I should have remembered that…"

Blake giggled lightly, before breaking her gaze, smiling softly. "When I saw that… Weiss, you have no idea how…  _huge_  that is to me."

Weiss huffed, her blush dying down slightly. "Okay, I suppose I understand how you respect me, but… how does that translate to… more?" she finished lamely.

Blake nodded. "I'm getting there… you see, for me to Mate someone, I would need three things: trust, respect, and affection. Having those three things so strongly towards a single person is what allows me to give them a Mate's Mark."

"But then…" Weiss asked, apprehensive. "How could I…"

"You're willing to learn." Weiss's mouth snapped shut as Blake powered into her explanation. The Faunus swallowed down her nerves as she elaborated. "I know… at least I  _think_  I know, that you were raised to think of Faunus a certain way, if how you acted the first few months were any indication."

Weiss frowned at her words, head dipping in silent shame.

"But, you changed."

Weiss' head snapped back up at Blake's amazed tone.

"You listened to me. You listened, and then, did your own research. You're actually willing to question what you know. That's not something most people are able to do. I respect you for that. And…"

"And…?" Weiss asked after Blake trailed off in hesitation.

"Well… you didn't do anything." Weiss blinked in confusion. 'You found out I was a Faunus, that I had lied to you for months. You could have turned me into the Headmaster, or to the police, or plastered my name and history all over the web-"

"W-what?!" Weiss spluttered indignantly. "Blake, I would never-!"

"I know! I know that Weiss,  _I know that Weiss_ …" Blake repeated her quick denial softly, grabbing Weiss' hands and holding them in her own. "I know you would never do that to me. You're too kind-hearted, too loyal to do something so… cold." Blake's eyes lowered to their connected hands. "But I didn't know that then… I kept you, all of you, at a distance. I was so afraid, so  _sure_ , that you would all reject me, so I tried to keep you all away. But then you found out and, in the end… nothing. You just… accepted me, and…" Her voice choked up, her eyes starting to glisten. "And, I realized… I could trust you."

The seconds ticked by in silence as Weiss absorbed Blake's words. Her eyes drifted from Blake's face to their clasped hands, a cold feeling wormed its way into her stomach, causing her to give Blake's hands a slight squeeze.

"You shouldn't."

Blake's head dipped up, confused at Weiss' soft statement. "Why?"

Weiss kept her head down, refusing to meet Blake's eyes. "After you ran… I almost did." She shook her head slightly, ashamed. "I really considered calling the Headmaster… or the police."

Blake's eyes widened, her heart giving a hollow beat as it dropped. She bit her lip, before hesitantly asking, "Really?"

Weiss nodded faintly, head still down. "You admitted you were in the White Fang, and, then you ran, and… It was like the last few months never happened. All I could think was, 'She's a Faunus, she's in the White Fang… she's a criminal.' It was like a switch had been flipped inside me and suddenly...our friendship didn't matter anymore."

Blake's lips formed a grim line as she tried not to frown. What Weiss was saying hurt… a lot… but yet… "But you didn't turn me in. Why not?"

Weiss shrugged, though her lips quirked a bit. "Ruby and Yang… and Penny, too, I suppose. We went out looking for you every day… or rather, Ruby and Yang dragged me out to look for you. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts… the whole time we kept looking, I... " She shook her head in anger. "I kept making those stupid remarks and… well, eventually made one too many."

Now Blake looked concerned. "What happened?"

To her surprise, Weiss let out a small huff of a laugh. "Nothing bad. Yang… made her frustrations known. And Ruby… honestly, I don't even think she knew what I was doing. When she looked at me and spoke, she just seemed confused and… disappointed. They woke me up a bit, made me look at things from a different angle. You know what happened after that."

Blake smiled. "And that's when you started learning about Faunus."

The smile disappeared when Weiss shut her eyes, her hands going limp in Blake's. "No… no, that happened a few days later."

"Weiss?" Blake asked hesitantly. When she got no response, Blake raised one of her hands to Weiss' face, gently cupping her cheek as she lifted her head. Blue eyes snapped open in surprise. "Weiss, what is it? What happened a few days later?"

Blue orbs held onto amber for a few seconds, before Weiss looked away as best she could, unconsciously leaning into Blake's touch. "After you came back… I had trouble falling asleep the next few nights. I kept replaying what we said and what I was thinking and… I was so confused and frustrated… I couldn't figure out why I acted that way… until one night, it hit me."

"What?" Blake asked when Weiss remained silent.

Weiss' eyes flicked to Blakes' face, before closing as Weiss leaned into the touch, purposefully this time. "That's what it was… an act. The moment I knew you were a Faunus and part of the White Fang, I just… shut down. I wasn't thinking the way I normally would have. I… I was acting the way I… I  _knew_  I was supposed to. I said those things because, that was what I was  _supposed_  to do, I felt that way because, that's how I was  _supposed_  to feel."

Blake took a step forward, fully worried now, only a single step separated them. "Weiss, what do you mean you were  _supposed_  to?"

Weiss took a shaky breath. Her eyes opened, but Blake had the feeling that Weiss wasn't actually seeing anything. "That's how it is. That's how it's always been. Any time that Faunus are involved, you have to act that way, to feel that way towards them. It's the only way you can be around him…"

Blake blinked, feeling her stomach drop. "Him…?"

Weiss continued, off in her own world now. "To be around him, you have to think like him. To talk to him, you have to say what he expects you to say. To spend time with him… you have to be like him." Tears started to roll down Weiss' cheeks.

"Oh, Weiss," Blake whispered, pulling the smaller girl into a tight hug, her cheek resting on her shoulder.

Weiss' soft, muffled voice murmured brokenly into her shoulder.

" _I don't want to be like him._ "

Blake held her tightly, carefully bringing them to the ground when she felt Weiss' legs wobble. She could feel the sadness and pain leaking through the Link, and her every instinct told her to do something,  _anything_ , to stop the distress of her potential Mate. She closed her eyes, and thought of calm and peaceful things as she spoke gently into Weiss' ear.

"It's okay, Weiss, I've got you. You're alright."

Weiss made no sound, no cries or sobs, but at Blake's words, she closed her eyes, leaning into the embrace as feelings of comfort washed over her.

Moments passed, Blake keeping up her soft words and sense of calm until she felt Weiss' despair, while by no means gone, dull and fade into the background.

Once she could feel that Weiss was calm, Blake spoke softly. "Weiss, you're nothing like him. I know it."

"Then why do I feel this way?" Weiss' muffled voice answered from her shoulder.

Blake contemplated her answer. "You've had to be this way for a long time? Years?"

Her only answer was a nod into her shoulder.

Blake let out a slow breath. "It won't just go away in a month, Weiss. When you've spent your whole life thinking and acting one way… It takes time to change. You're going to mess up now and then… you just have to keep trying."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, kitty-cat."

Blake's head snapped up and she felt Weiss stiffen in her arms as the familiar, if unusually soft voice suddenly spoke.

The door clicked shut as Ruby and Yang stepped into the room, concerned frowns on their lips as they looked down at the embracing girls.

"How long…?" Blake started as Weiss stayed still.

"Not long," Yang answered, keeping her voice low. "Just caught the tail end of what Weiss said." She knelt down beside the two, trying to look at Weiss' face. "You okay, Snowflake?"

It took a few seconds, but Weiss' head eventually dipped up, her blue eyes slightly bloodshot as they made contact with Yang's lavender. "I'm… okay, " she murmured, her tone of voice making it clear that even she knew how lame her answer sounded.

Yang nodded anyway, seeing how spent the young heiress was. She glanced at Ruby, who had knelt down with her, having her concern reflected back in her sister's eyes. She turned her attention to Blake. "So what do we do now, kitty cat?"

Blake looked around, surrounded by her prospective Mates, and let out a defeated sigh. "I don't know. I have so much I need to tell you… this went nothing like I planned."

"Um… I have an idea," Ruby said hesitantly. Once everyone's eyes had turned to her, she went on. "It's kinda late. Why don't we sleep on it tonight, and, in the morning, Blake can tell us everything she wants to… together."

Blake was confused at her words, until she looked to the wall clock.

_Ten P.M. … is it really that late already?_

She felt Weiss nod into her shoulder. "I'm okay with that," she said tiredly.

Yang gave a small hum. "Actually… not a bad idea, Sis. Today's been… yeah. Blake?"

The Faunus took a moment. She wanted to tell them all how she felt and how the Mating process worked, but… maybe Ruby had a point.

"That'll work," she answered.

Ruby nodded, a smile finally gracing her lips. "Okay then. Team RWBY, to bed!" she called, even giving a sharp point upwards to make it an official command.

Yang rolled her eyes as she got to her feet, an amused smile of her own forming. Blake made to rise as well, her arms releasing Weiss as she did. But while Weiss let go of Blake, she made no move to get up.

"Weiss?" Blake asked.

"Hm? Oh, right. Sorry, I just- wah!"

Weiss' distracted words were cut short when Yang suddenly bent down and picked her up bridal style, as if she weighed nothing.

"Yang, what-?"

"You were taking too long! This was faster," the blonde answered with a cheeky grin.

Weiss looked up at her for a moment, before huffing indignantly, looking pointedly away. "I can walk…"

"Yeah, yeah…" Yang drawled as she deposited the now-brooding heiress onto her bed, before walking to her own dresser.

Weiss grumbled as she sat up, quickly getting off the bed. "I have to change my clothes too, you brute."

Blake smiled at the banter as she changed into her own sleepwear.

Soon, clothes were changed, weapons stored, and Team RWBY had all found their way to their respective beds.

"Goodnight, everyone!" Ruby called as she turned off the lights.

"Goodnight, Ruby," three voices answered back.

After half an hour, Ruby and Weiss had each drifted off to sleep. Blake wasn't too far behind them, but her mind just couldn't stop going over what she would say the next day. There was so much to cover… and she had no idea where to start. It didn't help that she'd given bits and pieces of the information to Ruby and Weiss, but neither had been given the same information the other had. And Yang hadn't been told anything yet…

" _Psst. Blake._ "

Blake's eyes opened fully, drifting up to where she knew the blonde was lying. "Yes, Yang?"

"Um… okay, sorry if this sounds weird, but… Ruby showed me how to do the emotion… sensing… thing."

Blake blinked, surprised. "She did?"

The bed above her squeaked as Yang shifted her weight. "Yeah… so, uh… do you think we could… real quick…" There was a hiss of air as Yang let out a frustrated huff. "Could you show me your emotions… please?"

Blake gasped lightly, but then grinned. "Sure, Yang. Go ahead."

She heard Yang gulp. "Yeah… okay."

Blake closed her eyes, blocking out the rest of the world. Right above her, she could see the wispy mass of yellow right above her, a small tendril of aura reaching down to her. Right before it reached her, Blake focused on Yang, bringing everything she thought about the blonde to the forefront of her mind. She felt the slight nudge as Yang's aura touched hers, and waited for Yang to say something.

She heard a gasp. The seconds ticked by, agonizingly slow for Blake's tastes. Yang suddenly took a long, shaky breath.

"That, um… wow! I mean…" Yang descended into nervous, yet strangely happy sounding laughter.

"Yang?"

"O-oh, n-nothing, Blakey. Just… that was really something. We, uh… yeah, we are  _definitely_  talking tomorrow."

Blake looked at the underside of Yang's bed. The blonde  _sounded_ okay. She let out a bit of her aura, brushing up against the mass of yellow.

_Nervousness. Disbelief. Bafflement. Happiness. Hope. Relief._

Blake smiled. She considered asking Yang about what she was feeling, but thought better of it. "Goodnight, Yang," she said instead, getting comfortable for the night.

"Goodnight, kitty-cat."


	13. Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/13/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

Silver eyes blinked open. With a grunt, Ruby pushed herself up, rubbing the lingering sleep from her eyes. Another grunt, and Ruby swung her body around, dangling her legs off of her bunk.

"Morning, girls," she yawned.

…

Ruby blinked again. Her gaze drifted across the room. Yang lay sprawled across her bunk, arms wide and one leg hanging off the bed. Below her, Blake was curled up under her cover, one of her cat-ears flicking in her sleep. Ruby looked down, spotting Weiss' familiar white hair on her pillow, soft snores reaching her ears.

_That's… weird… I'm the first one up? That's… never happened before. At least Blake's usually up by…_

Ruby's eyes turned to the wall clock…

And immediately bugged out.

_6:30?! I'm never up by 6:30! Heck, I'm never up by 7:30! The only times I've ever been up this early is when I'm really excited or…_

A groan sounded below her. She glanced down to see Weiss roll over in her sleep. Her nightgown shifted when she did, revealing a small, purple bruise surrounded by teeth marks on her left shoulder.

 _...nervous._  Ruby pulled at the collar of her t-shirt. Tipping her head, she looked at her own mark on her shoulder, same as Weiss'. She let out a sigh as the memories came back, her collar snapping back as she released it. She hugged herself as she thought.

 _That's right. Blake's going to explain all this today._  Ruby bit her lip slightly.  _Explain how we're her… Mates._

Ruby gulped. She wasn't… scared, necessarily, more… worried. Yesterday, she'd been so focused on making sure everyone was okay, she'd never actually stopped and thought about what exactly Blake had done… and what it meant.

Blake wanted… a relationship. Not just as teammates or friends or, in Yang's case, partners; she wanted an actual, true romantic relationship.

_Though I think this might be a bit more serious than Yang's past relationships… and a lot more complicated._

Blake wanted Ruby to be her Mate… and she wanted the same for Weiss… and Yang.

Ruby let out a groan as she flopped back on her bed, throwing an arm over her eyes.

It was… weird. Not bad, just… weird. Ruby tried to picture herself with Blake…

And blushed as the memories of the other night flooded back.

Not helped that for every one of  _those_  memories, she had another just like it with a certain heiress.  _Then,_  her brain decided to play both memories at the same time, Blake on one side of her, Weiss on the other, and,  _wow, is my heart supposed to beat that fast?_

Ruby shook her head, clearing away the mental images. She pushed herself back up, her eyes drifting across the room, landing on Yang.

 _And it wouldn't just be me… Yang would be with them too… ugh!_  Ruby groaned again.  _I really hope Blake can explain this stuff._

Ruby glanced back at her pillow. She briefly thought about going back to sleep, but sighed a negative. A major downside of her chipper, hyperactive attitude: once you're up, you stay up.

With a small grunt, Ruby leapt down to the floor, the ropes holding her bunk creaking as the bed swung slightly. She took another look around the room.  _Awake way before I should be on a Sunday morning… what to do?_

A soft hum grabbed her attention. She looked just in time to see Blake roll onto her back, the Faunus' lips forming a slight frown.

Ruby tilted her head. She blinked, her eyes widening as a thought came to her. She hesitated for just a moment, before closing her eyes and focusing.

The room fell away, a void replacing it. Ruby looked around herself again, taking in the wispy clouds of yellow, white, and violet-clad black that took the place of her team. Unlike her previous times doing this, each of her teammate's auras were dim, only the faintest glow coming off of them. Ruby thought it odd, but pushed it aside, adding it to the list of questions she had for Blake.

Remembering what she had done with Blake and Yang the day before, Ruby pushed out with her aura, a trail of red reaching for Blake's black.

When the two auras touched, Ruby frowned. Blake's emotions felt… fuzzy. Hazy and unfocused, changing so quickly that it was near impossible to tell one from the other.

 _Maybe it's because she's asleep?_ Ruby thought to herself. Another question for the list.

Ruby focused a bit more. Despite the somewhat randomness of Blake's emotions, certain ones kept repeating enough for Ruby to pick them out.  _Nervousness… doubt… fear…_

Ruby pulled away from Blake's aura, her frown deepening in concern.

_Still worrying about this even in your dreams, huh, Blake? I really wish I could help somehow…._

Blake's ears twitched again as she mumbled in her sleep, Ruby paused, before a smile spread over her face. She tiptoed across the room and knelt beside Blake's bed. Very slowly, she placed her hand on Blake's head, her fingers cupping around her fur-covered right ear. She gently ran her nails across its base.

"...hmm…" Blake's lips curled upwards. The hum quickly turned into a light purr as Blake's body relaxed under Ruby's touch.

Ruby smiled. She closed her eyes and reached out again. Blake's emotions were still jumbled, but the negative ones had faded, leaving what Ruby could only describe as contentment.

Her smile grew. She stopped her scratching, instead just rubbing lightly at Blake's hair.

_This… I like this. Maybe… maybe everything will be alright._

Ruby stayed like that for a few minutes until she was convinced that Blake was sleeping calmly. She removed her hand, pushing herself to her fee. She looked at the clock.

_6:40… ugh, what to do…_

A growl sounded through the room.

Ruby jumped, her arm reflexively going behind her back to grab Crescent Rose… which she quickly remembered was stored away in her locker. Then she heard - as well as felt - a second gowl.

She looked down, her cheeks heating as she blushed in realization.

 _Right… no dinner last night,_ she thought with an embarrassed giggle. Then a thought struck her. She looked around at her team.  _Actually… with the whole Mates thing… I don't think any of us ate last night._

She blinked.

_That's what I can do! Breakfast! Everyone wakes up, has a nice meal, everyone will start off in a good mood… perfect!_

Quiet as could be, Ruby snuck out of the bedroom and into the living area, shutting the door softly behind her.

She tiptoed her way to the kitchenette, her mind filled with thoughts of a large breakfast feast.

_Let's see… Yang would want toast, sausage, scrambled eggs, orange juice… Weiss, some sugared oatmeal with blueberries and raspberries… Blake, hmm… omelet, maybe? With a tall glass of milk…_

Ruby opened the refrigerator, ready to get to work…

...and quickly slumped where she stood.

_Empty. Right… we never really use the kitchen. We always eat in the cafeteria…_

Ruby shut the refrigerator door, crossing her arms and glaring at it like it had offended her.

 _Well, so much for that idea. Maybe I could run to the cafeteria… except it doesn't open till eight on Sundays. Maybe someone else has food I could use and I can pay them back later… except, no one would be awake this early in the morning. Heck,_ I  _shouldn't be awake this early in the morning! What kind of person would…_

**Ding!**

Ruby's head jerked up. Her eyes panned across the room to the hallway door.

_Maybe… well, I might as well try._

Quiet, so as not to wake her team, Ruby made her way through the dorm and out into the hall. She looked left and right, but, of course, there was no one around. She crossed the hall, stopping in front of the opposite dorm. She reached out to knock, but hesitated.

 _What if he's not up? I don't want to disturb anyone. But…_  She took a deep breath.  _Okay… here goes!_

_*Knock-knock*_

Ruby waited, rocking back and forth on her heels. She jumped slightly when the door opened.

A set of violet eyes stared down at her.

"Oh, um… good morning, Ren!" Ruby greeted, suddenly nervous.

"Good morning, Ruby," Ren replied with a nod. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of dark green sweatpants. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, um…" Ruby hesitated, her old instincts kicking in. She just now realized how little she had actually spoken with the stoic member of Team JNPR, and while she did consider him a friend, the sudden one-on-one brought back her aversion to speaking to new people.

Ruby tried to ignore the feelings, making herself meet Ren's eyes. "I was actually wondering if I could ask you for a favor, Ren."

Ren blinked. He raised an eyebrow. "What do you need?"

Ruby couldn't help the slight fidget in her shoulders. "Well… there's some personal, emotional stuff going on back in my dorm…" She trailed off, trying to think of what to say.

"Is everything alright?" She stared at Ren's question, concern in his stoic voice.

"Oh, yeah, everything's okay… kinda… just, some things happened yesterday, we're planning to talk about it this morning once everyone wakes up. I woke up a lot earlier that I usually do, so I thought I'd try to make breakfast for everyone, but, um…" she trailed off again, her nerves acting up.

Ren's brow raised higher, the corner of his lips quirking. "Take your time, Ruby," he said patiently.

Ruby blinked up at him, gulping. "Well… we don't have any food," she said bluntly, her cheeks tinting in embarrassment. "And, I remembered Nora saying you made really good pancakes…"

Ren nodded in understanding. "And you wanted me to make some for you."

Ruby's cheeks grew redder. "Sorry," she murmured meekly, her eyes falling to the floor.

"So what kind do you want?"

Her head snapped up. To her surprise, Ren had pulled a pen and a pad of paper from somewhere, looking down at her expectedly. "You… you'll do it? It's not too much trouble?"

Ren shook his head, a kind smile on his lips. "Not really. Nora has asked for pancakes at stranger times. It's not a problem. Do you want regular pancakes, or would your teammates want something added?"

"Um…" Ruby blinked, stunned by Ren's generosity. "What do you have?"

Again, Ren's eyebrow raised. "Ruby, I usually make pancakes for Nora. If it can go in a pancake, we have it."

Ruby blinked. "Really?"

Ren stared down at her, expressionless. "Eggplant."

Ruby's eyes widened, before grimacing. "Eww…"

Ren shrugged. "Nora liked them. So…?"

"Oh! Well… Weiss would probably want blueberries in hers…" She paused as Ren put pen to paper, the sound of writing unnaturally loud in the empty hallway. "Blake…" Ruby thought for a minute.  _I've never seen Blake eat pancakes… what would she like?_  "...apples and cinnamon?" Ren's only answer was to continue writing. "And Yang… peanut butter chips. Topped with powdered sugar."

Ren smirked a bit as he wrote. "You know your team well."

Ruby blushed at the praise. "I try."

The hall fell silent. Ren looked up from the paper, staring at Ruby expectantly.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"...do you want any for yourself?"

Ruby blinked again. "Oh! Oh, um… chocolate chip… if it's not too much trouble."

To her surprise, Ren let out a small chuckle as he set the paper down behind the door. "None at all. It will be about twenty minutes or so. That okay?"

Ruby nodded, smiling brightly. "Yeah! Thanks Ren!"

"No problem. I'll bring them over when they're done." He went to close the door, before turning back. "Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"How did you know I would be awake at this time?"

"Oh! Um…" Ruby fidgeted a bit at the question. "I overheard Jaune saying how he got up for a glass of water one morning, and you scared him by already being in the kitchen."

Ren nodded, an amused smile on his lips as he closed the door. He turned around to head to the kitchen…

And nearly ran into a wall of pink.

Nora Valkyrie stood not a foot away from him, clad in a pink t-shirt and shorts, her hair sticking out at odd angles… and her eyes still closed, drool dribbling from the corner of her mouth as she snored, her head tilted to the side.

Ren resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead gently grasping his partner by the shoulders, turning her around, and guiding her to the kitchen as she mumbled in her sleep.

"Reeeeeennnn-Caaaaakessss…"

* * *

"So where did you go?"

Ruby jumped as she slipped back into her dorm room. She looked to the side to see Yang sitting backwards in the desk chair, her head resting on her folded arms. A quick glance at the rest of the room showed Weiss and Blake still asleep, light snoring coming from the left side of the room.

Ruby gave Yang a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, I thought I'd make breakfast for everyone, but since we don't have any food… I asked Ren to make us pancakes."

Yang raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? Cool. Sounds good." The sisters fell silent, Weiss's snores being the only sound in the room as Ruby stood awkwardly by the door. Yang let out a sigh. "So… you gonna tell me why you're up so early?"

Ruby sighed in return. She leaned against the door and slowly slid to the ground. "I dunno. I just… woke up and didn't feel like sleeping anymore."

Yang nodded. "Same," she whispered. She jerked her head towards Blake's bunk. "Excited or nervous?"

Ruby's lips quirked a bit. She shrugged. "Both. You?"

Yang smirked too. "Yep."

Silence reigned. Neither girl spoke as the minutes ticked by, just listening to their partners' breathing.

"I did the emotion sensing thing with Blake," Yang finally said. "After you and Weiss went to bed."

Ruby perked up, hope in her eyes as she looked up at Yang. "Yeah? And?"

Yang took a long, deep breath. "And… you were right," she admitted, a soft smile on her lits. "She really does… feel that way. She… loves me. Like, actually  _loves_  me."

Ruby beamed, crossing her arms. "Told you," she teased.

Yang let out a chuckle. "Yeah, you did." She paused. "She loves you, too."

Ruby stiffened a bit, her crossed arms turning into a self-hug. "Y-yeah, she does," she agreed quietly.

Yang just nodded. "And if last night was anything to go by, she loves Weiss just as much as us."

"...this is weird, isn't it?"

A true laugh escaped Yang's lips. "Oh, extremely." She turned back to Ruby, her smile falling at seeing Ruby's distress. She straightened up in her chair. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Ruby shrugged, eyes on the floor. "I dunno…"

She jumped as she felt a muscled arm wrap around her shoulders. She looked up to find concerned lavender eyes meeting her own. "Uh uh, no clammin' up. What's eatin' at ya, Sis?"

Ruby hesitated, before leaning against Yang's shoulder, hanging her head. "Do you think this could work? Me, Blake, and Weiss, and…  _you_ , Blake, and Weiss?"

Yang didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then she leaned back her head, hitting the door with an audible  _thump_. "Honestly, Ruby? I have no freaking idea."

Ruby couldn't help the slight snort that escaped her. "Well, that's helpful."

Yang responded by lightly slapping Ruby's side. They sat in silence for a moment, Yang eventually breaking the silence. "I want to be mad at you right now."

Ruby flinched a bit, looking hurt. "Why?"

Yang gave Ruby's arm a light rub, calming her. "Because… last night, when we…  _shared_  emotions… I felt how much you care for Blake and Weiss." She met Ruby's gaze. "You love them, don't you?"

Ruby shifted, her cheeks tinting. "I think so… that makes you mad?" she asked worriedly.

Yang shook her head slightly. "It should… 'cause I think I feel the same way. But… I'm not."

Ruby blinked. "Why not?"

Yang huffed out a laugh. "Because it's kind of hard to be mad at you when I know  _exactly_  how happy they make you."

Ruby nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. "...they make you happy, too."

Yang hung her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Yeah… yeah, they do." She suddenly threw back her head, covering her face with her free hand. "Dust, this is so messed up."

Ruby smiled, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder. "Yang, our whole lives have been messed up. Why should our love lives be any different?"

Yang snorted with laughter. "Ain't that the truth." She pulled her head back up. Her eyes panned across the room, finally stopping on a certain heiress. "So… when exactly did you start crushing on Weiss?"

Ruby stiffened, before sighing. "Honestly? Since I first met her."

Now Yang blinked in surprise. "Really? That early?"

Ruby nodded, blushing. "When I first saw her, I kept thinking how pretty she was. And after we became partners… I dunno. The more we got to know each other, the more I liked about her.'

"Such as?" Yang asked, a sly smile on her lips.

If Ruby noticed, she didn't care. "She's really smart… way smarter than me." Ruby ignored the disapproving smack against her head. "She's dedicated, loyal… and she's caring, though she tries to hide it." She turned to look Yang in the eyes. "You ever notice how she doesn't take praise well?"

Yang chuckled. "You mean how when you compliment her, she'll do that cute little blush, then act like she doesn't care?"

Ruby laughed with her. "Yeah… why do you think she does that?"

"I really don't know, Rubes. Though I do think she tries to act tougher than she is sometimes."

Ruby nodded. "I wish she wouldn't, though. I think she'd be happier then."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

Another nod. "I think Weiss could be a really sweet, kind person if she just let herself. We'd just have to…"

"Dig through ten feet of ice to find her?" Yang supplied, grinning.

Ruby gave her a half-hearted glare, her own smile still in place. "Something like that. So… when did  _you_  start having feelings towards Weiss?"

Yang let out a long breath through her nose. "Can't really pin down an exact time, Sis. And trust me, I've been trying to since yesterday. Something just… clicked when I woke up yesterday."

Ruby nodded. Her eyes drifted away from the heiress, instead moving to the other girl in the room. She hesitated, before turning back to her sister. "Yang? I know you know that Blake loves you, but… do  _you_  like  _her_?"

Yang stiffened. She turned her head away from Ruby, not really looking at anything. After a few moments, she glanced back at Ruby. "Honestly?"

Ruby nodded.

"...I was going to ask her out next week," Yang said, her cheeks tinting.

Ruby blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Yang gave a small nod. "Yeah, I was going to take her to a nightclub or something, just to see if there might,  _might_ , be something between us." She chuckled a little. "Guess that'd be kinda pointless now." She gave Ruby a sidelong look. "Soooo…"

Ruby huffed, already knowing the question. "I don't know, Yang. I never really considered me and Blake being a couple. At least not until…" She trailed off, feeling her face heat up. She gave Yang a nervous look. "Blake's a really good kisser."

Yang snorted out a laugh. "Yeah… yeah she is," she agreed, a bit more red entering her face at the memories that came back. She gave Ruby a sly grin. "Weiss ain't too bad either."

Ruby's cheeks darkened further, a fond smile creeping onto her face. "No… no she is not." her eyes went back to the heiress. She frowned. "Yang?"

"What?"

"Do you think Weiss likes us… like that?"

Yang let out a long breath. "I really have no idea, Sis. We'll just have to ask her and find out."

Ruby gulped. She squirmed a little where she sat. "But… but what if she doesn't- Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing the side of her head.

Yang fixed her with a reproachful look as she pulled her arm back to herself. "Don't start with the 'what-ifs' again. You always work yourself up when you do that."

Ruby huffed as she rubbed her head. "Sorry," she mumbled. She looked across the room at her sleeping teammates, looking thoughtful. She let out a sigh, leaning her head back. After a moment, Yang did the same.

Silence fell, only the sound of deep breathing breaking the dead quiet.

"Yang?" Ruby asked quietly, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hmm?"

"I love Weiss."

Yang nodded, still looking up. "Yeah, well… I love Blake."

"...I love Blake."

Yang let out a defeated sigh. "And.. I love Weiss."

The sisters turned to each other. They held each other's stare for a few seconds.

Ruby snorted. Yang did the same. They both hung their heads, their foreheads touching as they descended into giggles.

"We're hopeless," Yang laughed, a large grin on her face.

"Completely," Ruby agreed, her smile just as big.

The two sat there, each embracing the other's weirdness, when…

_Surprise. Shock. Happiness. Fear. Denial._

Ruby stiffened, feeling Yang do the same. She lifted her head, meeting Yang's eyes.

"Yang, do you feel that?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah."

"That wasn't you, was it?"

"Nope."

"And it wasn't me…" Ruby slowly turned to the rest of the room, at the two people still in bed. Her eyes narrowed, before closing.

Yang's mass of yellow was right next to her, bright and glowing. To the right, Blake's black and violet was glowing faintly, dim and dark, just like before. On the left was Weiss' white aura.

Glowing.

_Brightly._

Ruby opened her eyes, looking to Yang just in time to see her do the same. They shared a knowing look, before turning to the left side of the room.

"Weiss," Ruby called out, just loud enough to be heard.

The form under Weiss' covers stiffened, but didn't move.

Yang snorted. "We know you're awake, Snowflake."

It was quiet for a few seconds, before a large sigh sounded. With a muttering of "drat," Weiss slowly pushed herself up. "G-good morning Ruby, Y-Yang," she greeted politely, her eyes down, refusing to look at the sisters.

Yang was having none of it. "When did you wake up?"

Weiss fidgeted a little. "A few minutes ago."

Yang nodded. "How much did you hear?"

Weiss gulped audibly, her crystal blue eyes flitting up towards Yang, then Ruby, then back down at her hands. "E-enough," she stuttered out.

Yang looked at Ruby, who nodded, a bit of worry in her eyes. Yang turned back to Weiss. "Weiss, come over here."

Weiss' head snapped up in surprise. "W-why?" she asked, wary.

Yang resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Weiss, either you come over here, or we'll come over there. Which do you prefer?"

Weiss held her stare for a moment, before letting out a huff. She slowly got out of bed, glancing briefly towards the Faunus sleeping in the next bed, then glided across the room, stopping a few paces from the sisters.

She went to sit down across from them, when Yang suddenly scooted away from Ruby, leaving a person-sized gap between them. With a kind but commanding smile, Yang patted the floor next to her.

Weiss hesitated. Any other day, she would have just rolled her eyes, passing it off as Yang being her brash self. But now…

Ruby scooted over a bit herself, leaving more room between Yang and herself. Her silver eyes looked into Weiss' blue, bright and hopeful as always.

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Weiss sat between the two. She crossed her arms, determined to handle the situation with calm and poise.

Poise which was shattered once Yang opened her mouth.

"So, Weiss… wanna be our girlfriend?"

Weiss could  _feel_  her face turn a shade of red that should not be humanly possible. Her head snapped to the blonde, who, despite the cheeky grin on her face, had an expression that said Yang was serious.

"Ah ah ah, I-I-I-I... " Weiss just babbled as her brain tried to pick itself up after being hit by Yang's bluntness.

"Yang!" Ruby hissed, mortified.

"What?" Yang challenged, grin still in place.

"You don't just… ask someone that!"

"Why not? I said we'd have to ask her."

"Well…  _yeah_ , but… you could have… I don't know, eased her into it or… something."

"Hold it!" The sisters stopped their bickering when Weiss suddenly threw her arms up, nearly hitting the girls at her sides. "Both of you, stop! Just… stop!" Weiss rubbed her temples, the beginnings of a headache forming. Not helped by her still-inflamed face. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She turned to Yang, face stern. "Yang… why?" Whatever emotion she had tried to muster up burned out in an instant, leaving Weiss' question as a confused, tired moan.

Yang, grin fading to a gentle smile, merely shrugged. "We were going to ask you at some point. I figured we should get it over with now. Sooo…?"

Weiss shook her head. She looked to Ruby, hoping for some support, but instead found Ruby, while blushing and embarrassed, waiting for an answer as well. She looked between the two, baffled. "Be your girlfriend. To… both of you?"

The two paused. They leaned around Weiss, having a silent conversation with their eyes. They shrugged to each other, smiled, turned to Weiss, and nodded.

Weiss looked at them like they were crazy. "H-how?! How could I d-date both of you? A-and what about Blake?"

"We'll… definitely have to work on the details later," Yang stated awkwardly, Ruby nodding in agreement. "As for Blake, well… that's kind of why I'm asking you."

Weiss stared up at her, taking another deep breath. "Explain," she said evenly.

Yang sighed in exasperation. "Okay, look, I know things got kind of… uncomfortable before we all… split up yesterday, but, do you remember what Blake said?"

Weiss grimace. "You mean about… Marking us?"

Yang shook her head. "After that."

Weiss' brow scrunched in thought.

"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed, drawing the other two's attention. "She said the bond would be equal… right?"

Yang poked her on the nose. "Bingo. And right after that, before  _someone_  needed some air…"

"Hey! I was just… overwhelmed…" Weiss defended, though her head dipped down in shame. She was brought out of it when Yang bumped her shoulder, an understanding look in her eye.

"Hey, you weren't the only one. I took off right after you did." Weiss' eyes widened at her. Yang cleared her throat. "A-anyway, right before that she said something: that none of us would be less important that the others. No less…" She trailed off, embarrassment stealing her words.

"Loved," Ruby finished with a smile.

Weiss and Yang shared a blush, glancing at each other. "Yeah," Yang agreed. "I don't think she just meant with how she'd be with us. I think she also meant that we, the three of us, would be that way with each other."

Weiss seemed to shrink in on herself, cheeks ablaze. She glanced awkwardly between Ruby and Yang. "I-I don't know…"

A familiar warmth spread over her as Yang draped her arm over her shoulders. "Well, you don't have to answer right this second."

Weiss fixed her with a look of shock. "You… you just asked if I wanted to be your girlfriend!"

Yang stared at her, perplexed. "No I didn't."

Weiss scoffed in disbelief, jabbing a finger at Yang's nose. "Yes you did! You used those exact words!"

Yang's eyes widened in realization. "Well, yeah, but I didn't mean become our girlfriend, like,  _now_ , just… if you were okay with the idea of it."

"That's not what you said!"

"Well, that's what I meant!"

"Guys!" Ruby hushed. The bickering two turned to her, finding her pointing towards the missing member of Team RWBY.

Blake let out a grunt in her sleep, murmuring incoherently, before turning over, facing away from them.

The three let out a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

"I'm surprised she slept through our talking," Weiss whispered.

"And arguing," Yang added.

"She was really stressed yesterday," Ruby said, earning curious stares. "I think it made her really tired."

Yang nodded in agreement, then turned back to Weiss, still held in her arm. Weiss felt her eyes on her, meeting them reluctantly. "What?"

Yang just raised her eyebrow a fraction.

Weiss realized what it meant: Yang wanted an answer. Weiss exhaled. "Yang, I… Until yesterday, I never even considered pursuing a romantic interest." Her head dipped down again as she added quietly, "Let alone with my own gender…"

Weiss suddenly felt another arm wrap around her, this one smaller, cooler, more slender. Ruby scooted over so their hips were touching. "Would it be a bad thing… being with us?"

Weiss heard Ruby hesitate, feeling that she'd substituted her words at the last second. She hated the sudden feeling of helplessness she had at being so utterly  _lost_. "I… I don't…"

"You heard me and Yang talking, right?"

Weiss' blush was all the answer they needed, though she tried anyway. "Y-yes?"

"A lot?" Ruby questioned.

"E-enough," Weiss muttered, not looking at her leader.

"Enough to know how we feel about you?"

Weiss swallowed, her eyes darting between the girls holding her. "I… heard you, but… I don't…" she lowered her head as she whispered, "How? How could you…?"

Ruby frowned. She looked over Weiss' head at Yang, seeing her sister doing the same. In the same instant, they came to the same decision.

"Weiss?" Ruby murmured into her ear.

Weiss inclined her head slightly. "What?"

Yang gave the heiress a light squeeze, whispering to her, "Close your eyes, Snowflake."

Blue eyes widened in shock as Weiss realized what they intended. Her head snapped to the left, then the right, only to be met with soft, reassuring smiles. After a few deep breaths, Weiss closed her eyes, with no small amount of apprehension.

She could see it. Their auras side-by-side, so close that only a sliver of space separated them. In the next instant, that space disappeared. Weiss gasped.

_Comfort. Care. Respect._

_Affection. Adoration. Trust._

It all rushed over Weiss in an instant, so fast and so strong that she could barely tell which emotion came from which sister.

_Protectiveness. Sympathy._

_Happiness. Concern._

_Lo-_

_Lo-_

" _Stop!_ " Weiss nearly screamed, holding her head in her hands. "Stop, please, just… stop," she pleaded desperately.

A dual sense of remorse washed over her as Ruby and Yang removed their arms, instead moving in front of her. "Weiss!" Ruby panicked. "Oh, geez, I didn't mean…"

Yang wasn't much better. "Sorry, Snowflake! Oh, man, we shouldn't of…"

"Stop! Please, just…" Weiss practically buried her face in her hands, taking shaky breaths as her eyes stung. "First Blake, now you two… I just don't…"

"Don't what, Weiss?" Ruby asked, silver eyes flooded with concern. "Please, tell us what's wrong."

After a long, quiet moment, Weiss sniffed. "I don't get how you… any of you, could… love me." The last two words sounded like they took all of Weiss' energy to say.

Yang scooted forward so her and Weiss' legs touched. "What do you mean, Weiss?"

Weiss lifted her head, meeting Yang's eyes, looking  _so,_ so lost. "How could you love me when… when I haven't done anything?"

"Done anything?" Yang repeated, utterly confused.

Weiss sniffed again, tears visible in the corners of her eyes. "How can you love me when… when I haven't done anything to earn it?"

Ruby and Yang blinked. They turned to each other, more concerned than confused. They turned back to Weiss, Ruby speaking up. "Weiss… you don't have to…  _earn_  love."

Weiss looked at her, eyes crinkling in confusion. "W-what?"

The leader scooted forward, taking Weiss's hand in her own. "Weiss… we don't love you because you did something to make us. We just… like who you are."

Weiss shook her head, not comprehending. "I don't…"

"Weiss," Yang said sternly, taking Weiss' other hand. "We love you because you're  _you_. That's all there is to it."

Weiss looked between them, taking wavering, ragged breaths. Her gaze drifted downward, at her hands held tightly by each of the sisters, all while unaware that her jumbled emotions were open to the girls before her.

_Confusion. Denial. Hope. Desperation. Longing. Fear._

That was all Ruby could take. With her free hand, she grasped the side of Weiss' head, lifting her chin with her thumb. Before Weiss could react, Ruby surged forward.

Weiss' eyes shot wide, before slowly sliding closed. Ruby's lips were soft, hesitant. Clearly, she had no idea what she was doing, but it didn't matter. Because the whole while Ruby's lips worked against Weiss', Ruby poured every positive emotion she had across the Link.

Yang sat back, watching the… unique sight of her sister and… well,  _one_  of her newest love interests kiss. She couldn't help the small, sharp jolt of jealousy that shot through her at the sight, but strangely… it burnt itself out almost immediately. There was no heat to the kiss, no passion… at least, not the kind that she usually saw. But at the same time…

Yang smiled as she saw Weiss relax, the tension in her shoulders fade away. She felt Weiss grip her hand as the kiss deepened.

And… she could feel it. The bond… the Link between them. Yang had no doubt that, had she closed her eyes at that moment, she would see their auras glowing so brightly the red and white light would look pink…

As odd as it was… seeing Weiss and Ruby kiss just felt...right.

But… as right as they looked together, Yang couldn't help but feel… left out.

Which is why, once Ruby and Weiss separated, Yang gently turned Weiss' head towards her, and captured her lips for her own kiss.

* * *

_Surprise. Nervousness. Disbelief. Relief._

_Tenderness. Reassurance. Caring. Satisfaction._

_Happiness. Contentment. Joy. Humor._

Blake's eyes blinked open. She arched her back as she stretched out her arms and yawned, chasing away the last bits of sleep. She frowned in confusion,

 _That was… strange_ , she thought as she pushed herself up.  _That dream was so vivid. Almost like…_

Blake's thoughts came to a halt as she sat up, the sight before her making her mind go blank.

Across the room, her teammates… her potential Mates… sat across from each other. And from the looks of it…

_Are Weiss and Yang… making out?_

Yang was leaning over Weiss, lips locked as the heiress was pressed against the door. Though given the way Weiss' head was pushed forward, it seemed the heiress was giving as good as she got, or at least trying to.

Beside them, Ruby sat watching them, her cheeks reddened in a deep blush. She had her free hand pressed against her lips, like she was trying to hold back giggles.

That was another thing Blake noticed: despite the rather heated kiss she was having, Weiss had each of her hands held by one of Ruby's and one of Yang's.

Pushing aside the shock, Blake closed her eyes, pushing out her aura. Her breath caught.

 _Their aura_ … All three clouds of aura were glowing so brightly it was almost blinding. But the more shocking was the space between them, where tendrils of aura were touching, mixing together into an orangish-tan color.

Blake felt her heart swell, her eyes opening as they watered. This was… so much more than she'd hoped. It was almost like… well, like they were Mates.

Blake opened her mouth, ready to call out to them and let them know she was awake…

The door knob turned.

Weiss fell back as the door swung open, pushed by her weight, her and Yang's lips separating with a wet  _pop!_  A metallic  _clang!_  echoed throughout the room and the hallway as Weiss' back hit the hallway floor. She looked up, blushing crimson, to see…

Pyrrha Nikos, clad in her Pjs, four Semblance-covered metal serving trays hung suspended in the air above her, one spinning and wobbling where it hovered.

Pyrrha stared down at Weiss in confusion, before taking in the rest of the room.

"Um... " she hummed awkwardly. "Breakfast?"


	14. Revealed... Kinda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/14/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

Pyrrha gave the whole room a quick once over, her green eyes connecting with Blake's for a brief moment. "Am I interrupting…" She looked back down at the crimson-faced heiress directly below her. "...something?"

Weiss just looked up at her, wide-eyed and frozen, her usually sharp mind dulled by embarrassment and shock. A seed of dread formed in her stomach as she tried to think of some way,  _any way_ , to convince Pyrrha that the situation was not as it appeared.

"We were just helping Weiss out with some… issues."

... _Dust damn you, Yang._

Weiss' head snapped up, somehow managing a look that simultaneously held shock, fear, and absolute fury.

Yang just smiled back, her face the perfect picture of sympathy. "Relax, Snowflake. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Weiss did  _not_  relax.

Pyrrha looked between the two, then at Ruby, who was trying very hard not to laugh. "Is everything alright?" the redhead asked hesitantly.

Yang waved her off as she pushed herself to her feet. "It's cool. Just, uh, could you step inside?" She took a step forward, bending slightly as she reached a hand down to Weiss.

The heiress took her hand, and was quickly pulled to her feet. "What are you doing?" she hissed into Yang's ear.

"Saving our hides," Yang whispered in answer. She pulled Weiss into the room, closing the door behind them. Speaking louder, she addressed Pyrrha. "Yeah, sorry about that. We were just- hey, Blake! When did you wake up?" Her voice shifted from easygoing to unnaturally chipper upon seeing the Faunus awake.

Blake flinched as all eyes suddenly turned towards her. She flushed at the attention, pulling her covers against her chest. "A couple minutes ago," she answered simply.

Yang blinked. She glanced briefly at Weiss. Then she smirked, and Blake didn't need the Link to sense the mischievousness Yang was feeling.

"Is there somewhere for me to put these?" Pyrrha asked, gesturing to the trays above her head.

"Oh, yeah!" Ruby said, jumping to her feet. "Sorry, kitchen table's this way." She opened the door to the living area, waving for Pyrrha to follow. "Um, sorry for asking, but I figured that Ren would bring these over."

Pyrrha let out a nervous chuckle as she followed Ruby into the next room. "Well, he was going to, but at the moment, he's…"

* * *

"So, why are you making so many pancakes?"

Ren briefly looked away from the stovetop, glancing at the onesie-clad Jaune sitting at the kitchen island next to him. "Evidently, when I make pancakes, Nora has 'First-Dibs Priority'." He turned his head all the way around, looking over the mountain of pancakes at the girl  _glaring_  at him. "Though this is the first I've heard of it."

The glare intensified.

Jaune sweatdropped. "Oh."

"Indeed," Ren responded simply, flipping a new pancake over.

…

"...Ren?"

"Yes?"

"Can you please make her stop glaring? She hasn't blinked in five minutes."

* * *

"...occupied."

"Ohh…" Ruby droned as she led Pyrrha into the next room.

Once they were out of earshot, Weiss turned to glare at Yang. "Yang, what are you doing?!"

Yang laughed her off as she went to the closet. "Relax, Weiss, I know what I'm doing."

"And what are you doing?" Weiss repeated.

Yang sighed. "Look, Weiss, Pyrrha just caught us liplocked." Weiss turned crimson again, but Yang kept going before she could say anything. "Do you want to tell her the real reason why we were?"

"W-wha- No!" Weiss spluttered. "Of course not!"

"Then we got to tell her something else." Yang rummaged through the closet, pulling out a pair of blue jeans, before tossing them to the side. "Look, I'll do the talking. If she asks, just leave it to me."

"B-but," Weiss glanced at the open door to the living area as the clatter of silverware drifted through. "You just told her I have issues," Weiss hissed in accusation.

Yang fixed her with a blank look. "Weiss, you  _do_ have issues." At Weiss' look of outrage, she continued, looking back in the closet. "I know it, you know it, and yes, Pyrrha knows it too. Heck, everyone at school knows it."

_Outrage. Fear. Embarrassment. Shame._

Yang stiffened. Her head snapped around, her lavender eyes meeting pained, misty blue. Weiss quickly looked away, crossing her arms with a scowl on her face.

Remorse flooded through Yang. She quickly stepped across the room, grasping Weiss by her shoulders. "H-hey, I didn't mean it like that! I wasn't kidding before; it's nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone has issues, myself included!"

Weiss scoffed, glaring at the blonde from the corner of her eye. "Yeah, right."

Yang grimaced. She looked over at Blake, now sitting on the edge of her bed, but all the Faunus could offer was a look of concern.

Yang gulped. She took a deep breath, turning back to Weiss. "Weiss…"

The heiress refused to meet her gaze.

Yang hung her head, letting her hands leave Weiss' shoulders, trailing down her arms. "I'm sorry…" she muttered mournfully.

Weiss blinked, slowly turning to face the blonde. Normally, she'd dismiss the words as an attempt to get back into her favor, but…

_Sadness. Frustration. Self-loathing. Remorse._

Weiss sighed, looking down. "...did you have to say it like that?"

Yang lifted her head. She managed a half-smile. "Sorry. Sometimes my mouth moves before my brain does." She punctuated her words by tapping her knuckles to the side of her head.

Weiss looked down for a moment longer, before looking up through her bangs. "Just sometimes?" she asked, smirking slightly.

Yang blinked, huffing out a laugh. "Yeah, yeah…" she muttered as she pulled away, a full smile on her lips.

Blake watched on with a smile. Though dulled, she could feel the emotions going between the two, helping to fill the gaps in understanding their words left. She felt a warm feeling in her chest, almost like pride.

Weiss glanced back at the open door.  _They'll be out here any second._  She looked at Yang nervously. "You know what to tell her?"

"...you're going to embarrass me, aren't you?"

Yang smirked. "Oh, totally. But tell me something: which would you prefer? Get a little embarrassed, or explain the whole Mates situation to Pyrrha, right here, right now?"

A wave of panic slammed into her from two sides, both from the heiress in front of her, and the Faunus across the room. Yang looked at Blake, and was taken aback by her fear-filled yellow eyes and her cat ears standing straight up on her head.

Yang waved her hands in front of herself in defense. "Hey, hey! I'm not serious! You guys really think I'd do that?"

Blake let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Weiss sighed in relief, before giving a pleading look at Yang. "Please don't make it too bad."

Yang chuckled. "Relax, Snowflake." She leaned in and, to everyone's surprise, kissed Weiss' forehead. She pulled back with a soft smile. "I know what I'm doing."

"What are you doing?"

They all jumped as Ruby stepped back into the room, Pyrrha right behind her. Ruby was giving Yang a questioning look.

Yang just smiled at her. "Nothing, Sis. Just making plans for the day." She turned her attention to Pyrrha. "Thanks for bringing that over. I hope Ren didn't have to wake you up to do it, though."

"O-oh, it was no trouble," the gladiator answered awkwardly. "We were getting up early anyway. I'm sorry if I, um…" Her green eyes flickered between Yang and Weiss. "...interrupted… anything."

Weiss' blush returned full force. Yang let out a sigh. "You want to know?" she asked simply.

Green eyes widened as Pyrrha waved her hands in denial. "O-oh, I don't need to… I didn't mean… I don't need to know." Her cheeks tinted as she stopped stuttering.

Yang gave her a look. "But it's going to bug you not knowing." It wasn't so much a question as a foregone conclusion.

Pyrrha's only response was a rather uncomfortable fidget, glancing between the blonde and the heiress.

Yang huffed. Then she turned to Weiss. "Can I tell her?"

Weiss' first response was to ask (or rather,  _demand_ ) "tell her what?!" Instead, she stared into Yang's eyes, remembering her words.

_Trust me._

Weiss glance back at Pyrrha, the redhead looking back in equal parts awkwardness and curiosity. She swallowed, before nodding slightly to Yang.

The blonde gave her a reassuring smile, turning her attention back to Pyrrha. "Okay, P, can you keep a secret? Like, even from your team?"

Pyrrha blinked, looking unsure. "I… suppose."

Yang nodded, accepting her answer. "Okay. I'm guessing you've put two and two together on what me and Weiss were doing before you opened the door?"

_Huh. Didn't know her face could turn the same color as her hair._

Pyrrha cleared her throat, ignoring the heat in her face. "I, um… have an idea."

Yang couldn't help the slight smirk tugging at her lips. "Well, the truth is, Weiss has been having some trouble figuring out her… preference."

The look Weiss sent her was  _thunderous._

 _Trust her, trust her, trust her…_ , she kept repeating in her head, praying that Yang really knew what she was doing and wasn't just screwing with her.

Pyrrha blinked in surprise. "O-oh! So, you were…"

Yang nodded, half-smiling. "Yeah. just… helping her figure out which team she's on."

To Weiss' surprise, Pyrrha nodded in understanding. Then the redhead frowned. "Isn't it a little early for… that?"

Yang just kept smiling. "Yeah, well, we kinda started talking about before we went to bed, and since we both woke up a bit early…"

Pyrrha nodded again, this time with a smile. "Well, then, I'm very sorry for interrupting you." She then turned her smile on Weiss. "I hope you have luck in figuring yourself out, Weiss."

Weiss, stunned, stuttered. "U-um… t-thank you, P-Pyrrha." A small smile managed its way onto her lips.

Pyrrha nodded to her, then to Ruby as she went to the door. She opened it and was halfway out, when she turned back to the room "Oh, um, Blake?"

Blake, who had been watching the interaction with worry, then relief, gave the gladiator a curious stare, tilting her head.

Pyrrha gave a kind, if nervous smile. "You look very nice without your bow."

She shut the door before anyone could respond.

It took Blake a full three seconds before Pyrrha's parting words sank in. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, her hands clamping over her ears.

Her large, feline, completely impossible to miss ears.

"She, she saw…" Blake started breathing hard and fast, panic building in her chest. "She… she knows… oh, Dust…"

"Blake? Blake!" Yang was instantly at her partner's side, wrapping her arms around the distraught Faunus in a gentle yet firm embrace. "Hey, calm down! It's okay."

Blake didn't seem to hear her. "Pyrrha saw my ears. She knows that I'm… I-I didn't even think about…"

Weiss and Ruby quickly moved in front of Blake's bed, completely lost in what to do. The emotions rolling off of Blake were so strong that it almost made the two ill.

_Panic. Dread. Terror._

Yang held Blake tighter as the emotions washed over her. She felt an ache in her chest, like her heart was trying to pound its way out and get to Blake. A thought popped into her head, and Yang acted on it.

Very gently, Yang rested a hand on the back of Blake's head. Closing her eyes, Yang leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Blake's. She started humming.

Blake's panicked babbling cut off the second Yang leaned forward. She stared blankly for a few seconds, before her eyes slit shut, pressing against the blonde in kind.

Ruby breathed in sharply when she heard Yang start humming. She recognized the tune; it was one of the songs their mother would sing to them on stormy nights or after a bad dream. The same song Yang sang to her after Summer was… gone.

With a look to Weiss, who was watching the two partners with worry, Ruby bobbed her head towards the two, hoping Weiss go the hint.

She did, and, after a moment's hesitation, Weiss sat down next to Blake. Unsure of exactly what to do, Weiss gently put her hand on Blake's thigh, hoping it would comfort her.

Ruby, seeing there was no room on either side of Blake, crawled around Yang onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Blake's waist, hugging her from behind as she pressed her face into the nape of the Faunus' neck.

After a minute or so, Blake's breath slowed back down to normal, though she remained tense. "She knows," she murmured weakly.

Yang rubbed her side gently in comfort. "Blake, it's okay. It's Pyrrha. She won't tell anyone."

Blake took a shuddering breath. "But… but what if…?"

Yang shook her head, keeping their foreheads connected. "No 'what-ifs'. If it worries you that much, we can go talk to Pyrrha and tell her to stay quiet. No need to freak."

Blake stayed still for a minute more. Her eyes opened slowly as she moved her head back, Yang doing the same. Amber eyes still glanced around the room, as if she was expecting some kind of attack. "S-sorry," she mumbled meekly.

Yang gave her a squeeze. "Hey. Nothing to apologize for." Her usual smile came back in an instant. "She wasn't wrong, though. Your bow is cute and all, but I like your ears more." To confirm her point, she gave both ears a small scratch.

Blake hummed at the feeling. Ruby squeezed her waist, resting her chin on Blake's shoulder. "You okay now, Blake?"

Amber orbs met silver, then concerned blue. She put her hand over the one Weiss had on her leg, leaning her head against Ruby's. "I think so. Sorry."

"Ugh," Yang groaned, releasing Blake so they sat shoulder to shoulder. "Enough with the 'sorry's."

Blake looked at her. "Sorry," she said, a small smirk on her face.

Yang elbowed her in the side, getting a chuckle.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

Ruby giggled. Her eyes drifted across the room.

"...y'know, the pancakes are getting cold."


	15. Explanations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/15/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

"Oh, that was good."

Team RWBY sat around the little-used kitchen table, a small circle with four chairs around it. Ruby sat across from Yang and Blake across from Weiss. Empty plates and glasses were pushed towards the middle. Yang sat back in her chair, rubbing her full stomach.

"No kidding," Blake agreed, sipping at a glass of milk. "I had no idea you could put apples into a pancake."

"Or blueberries," Weiss added as she started stacking the plates.

"Yeah," said Yang. "Ren may be kinda quiet, but the man knows his way around a flapjack." She breathed in deeply.  _*buuurp*_

Weiss deadpanned at her. "Classy."

Yang just smirked and shrugged, making Ruby giggle.

Clattering echoed as Weiss deposited the dirty dishes in the sink. She soon took her seat again, resting her hands in her lap.

Awkward silence filled the room, each girl glancing around at nothing in particular.

"So…" Yang broke first. "Are we going to talk about this or what?"

Blake flinched as all eyes soon turned to her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, before letting out a defeated sigh. "I don't even know where to start."

"Hmm…"Weiss hummed, drawing her team's attention. "How about you start by telling us…" her composed demeanor crumbled quickly, leaving her with just a tired, pleading look. "Blake… what happened? What… made you do this?"

Blake felt her ears pin back in discomfort, her nerves not helped when Ruby leaned forward in her seat, eager for her answer. The look in Yang's eye made it clear she wanted Blake's reasoning, too.

Mustering her courage, Blake tried to answer. "I think… when I went into heat, it left me… vulnerable." She frowned as she tried to find the right words. "When I gave in and just let go… It's hard to describe. It's almost like… I became something else."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Ooo-kay."

Blake huffed in frustration, racking her brain for a better description.

"Is that why you didn't talk?"

All attention went to Ruby, who was looking at Blake, her head tilted to the side. Blake gave a small nod. "Yes, that's why. I suppose the best way to put it is that, once I gave into my heat, I stopped thinking and just… acted on instinct."

"And your instinct was to make us your Mates?" Weiss asked, somewhat sarcastically.

Blake hesitated, before, to everyone's surprise, she nodded. "Actually… yes." At their dumbfounded looks, Blake explained. "I've been thinking. And… I think I've felt this way… about all of you… for a while now."

Yang leaned forward a bit, resting her arms on the table. "You mean… that you love us?"

Emotions suddenly spiked around the table. Surprise from Blake. Unease from Weiss. Warm happiness from Ruby.

Blake looked at them all, her gaze lingering on Weiss for a moment, before answering. "Simply put… yes." She felt a nervous smile creep onto her lips. "I love you… all of you."

Uncertainty ebbed from across the table. "Romantically, you mean," Weiss asked, fidgeting.

Blake met her eyes as she answered. "Yes, Weiss. I love you."

Weiss squirmed under her gaze, but nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing Ruby beam at her and Yang smirking slightly, Blake went on. "Like I said, I've felt this way for a while now, but, I think I've been trying to deny it."

Ruby frowned. "Why?"

Blake sighed as she turned. "Ruby, I haven't spent much time considering romance in the last few months. I've always seen the three of you as my friends, but it wasn't until yesterday that I realized that I've started seeing you as… more."

"So… what changed?" asked Yang.

Blake sighed. "I wish I could remember exactly what happened during my heat… but I have an idea. I think that, since I was going off of instinct alone, I just acted without thinking. With no thoughts about consequences and no inhibitions to stop me, it all became… simple. I wanted you three to be my Mates, so I acted."

Everyone was silent for a moment, Weiss frowned in confusion and mild anger, while Yang let out a long breath of air. "Still would have been nice if you could have asked, Blakey."

Blake rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes hesitantly meeting Ruby's. After a second, Ruby's eyes widened in realization, before looking sheepish. Blake turned back to Yang. "Actually… I kind of did?"

Weiss' expression morphed into bafflement, which Yang mimicked. "Uh… what?"

"Uh…" The two turned their attention to Ruby, who had raised her arm slightly into the air. The leader smiled awkwardly. "I think I know what she means." When no one said anything, she went on. "Well… after we were all…  _done_ … I stayed awake after you two fell asleep. After a little while, Blake gave me this weird look. She pressed her forehead against mine, and, after I pressed back, she smiled and… I think that's when she bit me."

Blue and lavender eyes widened, turning to the Faunus. Blake gave a hesitant nod. Ruby's right. "What I did was the proper way for a Faunus to ask another to be their Mate. And, while I doubt you knew it at the time, Ruby, when she pressed back against me, that's how a Faunus would accept me to be their Mate."

Yang tilted her head. "That's kind of weird. Why would pressing foreheads be such a big deal?"

Blake huffed, reminding herself that none of her team had even the basic knowledge of Faunus mannerisms. "That's just the tradition. It's like.. I guess the closest equivalent I can give is a human getting down on one knee and presenting another with a ring."

Weiss suddenly stiffened, shock and panic rolling off of her. "Wait, do you mean, by being Mated, the four of us are…  _engaged_?"

Surprise and disbelief came from the sisters, both of whom were staring at Blake in shock. Blake threw her hands in a panic. "No, no! It's not like that… not really… there's a lot more to it than that!"

Yang squirmed a little in her chair. "We're listening, Blake."

Blake let out a slow breath, both to calm her nerves and collect her thoughts. Unable to meet her team's eyes, she stared at the center of the table. "I guess the best thing to do is explain exactly what a Mate's Mark is. When I bit each of you, I gave you a portion of my aura. That aura is the purple spot inside the bite."

Yang blinked. She pulled her shirt collar aside, craning her neck to look at her Mark. "Really? I thought that was just a bruise or something, y'know, like a hickey."

Blake huffed a little. "You're half-right, Yang. There is a bruise there right now, because, well… it  _is_  kind of a hickey." Blake tinted in embarrassment, her ears drooping. "But it will heal in a day or so, in which point the Mark will turn black, the same color as my aura."

Weiss nodded, absorbing the information. "Okay… so is that all it is, just a spot of aura on our skin?"

Blake's lips formed a tight line. "No… there's more to it than that. See, a Faunus' Mate's Mark changes depending on what stage in the relationship they're in."

"Stage?" Ruby asked, head tilting.

Blake nodded to her. "The Marks you all have right now are… I suppose you could call them Stage One Marks. They're meant to be temporary…" When she caught sight of the baffled and stunned looks aimed at her, along with feeling the shock and confusion from her team, she tried to clarify. "What  _normally_  happens is that two Faunus would start a relationship normally, date and spend time together, just like humans do. However, once they reach a certain point in their relationship, they would both decide to take the next step: Marking. To give each other a small glimpse of who they really are, with no secrets or illusions between them."

"Uh… a glimpse?" Yang asked with a chuckle. "It's a bit more than that, Blake. I don't know about the rest of you, but… you're all kind of an open book to me now… and, yep, there's the embarrassment." Yang gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her head as Weiss and Ruby looked away from the table, cheeks tinted.

Blake held back the urge to giggle at their actions, though paused when Weiss' emotions suddenly dulled. She gave Weiss a questioning look, which the heiress returned. After a few seconds, her blue eyes widened.

"Sorry…" Weiss mumbled. Blake instantly felt Weiss' emotions sharpen back into focus, feeling the apology and shame across the Link. Blake's eyes widened when she realized what just happened.

 _So that's what it feels like when they… shut me out…_  Blake hummed, unsure how to feel about it.

"Uh… what just happened?" Ruby asked, concern on her face as she looked between the two of them.

"Yeah," said Yang. "Why's Weiss feeling down all of a sudden?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Blake assured. "As I was saying, yes, Yang, right now, we're all an open book to each other. However, it won't last. Right now, the bit of my aura inside you is sustaining itself. If left alone, it will burn itself out, taking the Mark with it. A Stage One Mark is only meant to last a few days, a week at the absolute most."

Weiss nodded slowly, drinking in the information. "Okay… and what happens after your aura burns itself out?"

Blake breathed in sharply, letting the air out slowly to calm herself. "Well, um… If a Faunus lets the aura burn itself out, it's because, after seeing who their potential Mate truly is, they decide they don't want to be Mates after all."

Weiss' eyes widened as she realized how her question might have sounded. "W-well then, um… what would happen if they decide they do… want to be Mates, that is?"

Blake fixed her eyes on Weiss, and the three humans were taken aback by the sharp spike of emotion Blake gave off: a strange mix of surprise, hope, and trepidation. Blake quickly looked away, resting her arms on the table and folding her hands, her eyes not straying from them. "If the two Faunus decide that they want to be Mates after they…  _feel_  each other," Blake answered, "then they would take the steps to bind themselves to each other by… altering the Mate's Mark."

"What do you mean by alter?" Weiss asked.

"What do you mean by  _bind_?" Yang followed, suddenly looking nervous.

Blake looked between them, unsure who to answer first. After a moment, she figured she'd try to answer both. "The Faunus would bind themselves to each other by, through physical contact, adding more aura to the Mate's Mark, while their partner flared their aura at the same time. The foreign aura would then mix evenly throughout their Mate's own aura. The Mate's Mark would reflect this, turning from a simple spot on the skin to an actual design."

"Design? What, like a tattoo or something?" Yang asked.

Blake nodded. "Typically, yes. To the untrained eye, the Mark would look like a tattoo, or a similar form of body art. What it looks like depends on the people making it, however."

"How so?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowed.

"The Mark's design would reflect the people making it, and the bond between them. Their personality, their interests; basically, whatever makes that person who they are, and what makes their Mate who they are. It varies from Mate to Mate, some are rather plain while others are intricate. I once saw a mated couple who's Mate's Mark was a shield surrounded by vines and various flowers. Another's was simply a red diamond inside a black square."

"Wait," Yang held up her and, somewhat surprised. "You've seen other people's Mate's Marks?"

Blake swallowed, her eyes glancing at Weiss briefly before looking back down. "A few… in the White Fang." When no one said anything, she went on. "Faunus tend to not cover their Mate's Marks. They…  _we,_ " she corrected herself rather forcefully, "see it as something to be proud of. That… we managed to find someone to love… and be loved by."

Silence fell as Blake's words sank in. Ruby smiled at what she'd said, but felt her mouth curl downwards at the sight of the other two. Yang looked unbelievably nervous and uncomfortable, while Weiss… Weiss was just unreadable. Ruby felt Yang's nervousness and awkwardness (a little disturbing seeing how she couldn't remember even  _once_  where she'd seen Yang in such a way), but from Weiss… Her emotions were surprisingly neutral, just a bit of nervousness and surprise, but it was squashed down under an overwhelming feeling of… contemplativeness?

Ruby decided to try and break the tension. "So… what does that mean, then? The aura mixing and the Mark changing?"

Blake looked up at her, surprised amber meeting curious silver. "Well, when the Mark becomes… Stage Two, I guess, that's when I'd say it's more similar to human engagement."

Ruby gulped, Yang and Weiss now giving Blake their full attention.  _So much for easing tension…_

Seeing their looks, Blake threw back her head, letting out a growl of a groan as she rubbed at her eyes. "Look, I'm  _trying_. I'm really trying to explain this, but there  _is_  no perfect comparison. I can think of a few ways that Faunus Mating is  _similar_  to human relationships, but I can't…"

A hand on her shoulder, a hand on her left. Blake's words died in her throat as she looked back at the table, being met with three sets of concerned eyes, worry and regret filling the room.

"Hey, calm down, kitty-cat," Yang said as she squeezed her shoulder.

"Take your time, Blake." Ruby smiled.

"I've no doubts that this is complicated. I'm sorry for our reactions," Weiss said, leaning over the table towards her.

Blake froze for a moment, before allowing a small smile. As Ruby and Yang pulled back their arms, Blake leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling in thought.

"Okay," she said after a few minutes of silence. "I think… I know how to put it… maybe." She pulled her head forward, meeting each of their eyes. "Just… let me get to the end before you say anything, okay?"

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang turned to each other. Other than some fleeting hesitation from Weiss, the three were resolute. They nodded to each other, then turned and did the same to Blake.

The cat Faunus smiled nervously, then took a deep breath. "I'll try to keep it simple… at least, as simple as I can. Using the previous example, two Faunus dating, with no Mark, is almost exactly the same as two humans dating, just, spending time with one another, learning about each other, growing closer over time. Once they decide to give each other a Mate's Mark… I would compare it to a human giving another a ring, asking for their hand in marriage."

She paused when she felt Yang and Weiss' emotions spike again, this time with apprehension and muted worry. Blake ignored it, opting to press on. "The difference, however, is that, keeping with the comparison, rather than one person giving the other a ring, they would each give a ring to each other. And rather than ask for an answer at that moment, they would each take a few days, think over their feelings and intentions, and then, both give an answer… does that make sense?"

The three nodded slowly. "I… believe so," Weiss said slowly. "Right now, we're at the point of deciding whether we want to go through with this… becoming your Mates… correct?"

Blake positively  _beamed_. "Yes. Yes, that's right. Um… Now, this is a bit trickier to explain. Like I said, these Marks are Stage One and temporary. Left alone, they will burn themselves out after a few days. A Faunus could reapply a Stage One Mark before that happens, but… in Faunus circles, that can be interpreted as dragging your feet. Think of it like a person being popped the question, and then… hesitating."

"If both Faunus decide that they want to be Mates, then, like I said, the Mark will change to Stage Two." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Keeping with the human comparisons, a Stage Two Mark is less than being married, but…  _more_  than being engaged."

Yang and Weiss were silent, mulling over Blake's words with lingering apprehension. It was Ruby, however, that was confused. "Why would it be more than being engaged?"

Blake let out a slow breath, humming. "I told Weiss this last night, but… You know how people say that our aura is actually our soul?"

Ruby nodded, and Yang looked to her with intrigue. Weiss paid rapt attention, hoping to have some of the things she'd learned the night before clarified.

"Well," Blake continued. "Most, if not all Faunus believe that, myself included. By creating a Stage One Mark, you are essentially giving a part of yourself, a piece of who and what you are, to another person. When the Mark becomes Stage Two, and that piece of aura is absorbed into their Mate, they have, quite literally, merged their souls together. By doing that, they are saying in no uncertain terms, 'I accept this person into myself. They are a part of me and who I am.'"

Stunned silence filled the room, wide eyes staring at Blake. With a gulp, Yang simply said, "That's heavy."

Blake nodded seriously. "That's why I say it's more than being engaged. When you're engaged, you intend to spend your life with someone. When you're Mated, you become a part of someone."

Everyone was still, letting the information sink in. Yang leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. She let out a long huff. "Oh, man…"

Ruby stared down at her hands, trying to wrap her head around the concept.  _Blake would be a part of me… her soul, inside me…_

Weiss folded her hands on the table, interlocking her fingers. She stared across the table at Blake, trying to keep a lid on her more volatile feelings.  _Not that they all don't know exactly how I feel anyway_ …, she thought with a mix of frustration and baffled humor. "So, what exactly would be the effects of merging our aura like that? What exactly would change from what we're experiencing now?"

Blake thought for a moment, grateful for Weiss' attempted professionalism. "A few things. For one, the emotions you feel from each other will be… sharper, I suppose. It should be easier for you to understand what the others are feeling." A thought struck her, her eyes widening at it. "We might also gain an Affinity."

The other three perked up at her change of tone. "An… affinity?" Weiss asked, confused.

Blake blinked, smiling sheepishly as her cheeks tinted. "Yes, um… I almost forgot… just a moment."

Without another word, Blake got up from the table and walked back to the bedroom, leaving her team staring after her.

With Blake currently gone, Ruby turned to her remaining teammates. "So.. what do you guys think so far?"

Yang let out a long breath through her nose. "Not sure, Sis… It doesn't sound too bad so far, but… this is sounding kind of permanent."

Weiss nodded in agreement. "I have a few… okay, several more questions I need her to answer, but so far… I'm not  _averse_  to the idea… I think." Weiss pouted a little, frustrated by her own feelings.

Yang could relate. "Yeah, I need to know one-" she stared hard at Ruby for a long second, "-or two more things before I make a choice one way or the other. But…" The corner of her lip curled up slightly. "I'm getting less freaked out by it."

Ruby grinned when she saw Yang smile, the ball of tension in her stomach loosening just a bit. She went to say something, right when Blake came back in, a stack of books in her arms.

"Here it is. Was afraid I lost it for a minute there," she said as she placed the books on the table, setting one in the center.

Everyone leaned over it to read the title, Weiss having to tilt her head to the side to do so. " _Strange Fates of Faunus Mates_?"

Blake nodded. "It's an anthology of oddities and unique experiences different Faunus have had during their time as Mates." She opened the book, leafing through the pages, back and forth, before stopping near its end. "Here it is." She spun the book around for all of them to read.

Weiss took the initiative and read the chapter title aloud. "Finding Affinities: From the Mundane to the Magnificent." her eyes drifted down to the chapter's contents.

_As one could imagine, the merging of two people's aura, even just the small amount needed to advance a Mate's Mark, can sometimes lead to unusual, and in some cases, rather amazing side effects. These effects, referred to by most as Affinities, share a striking resemblance to the Hunter and Huntress abilities known as Semblance, and are believed to manifest in a similar manner. The exact nature of an Affinity depends on the Mated pair; the nature of their relationship, their individual personalities, and their own innate abilities are just a few factors that determine what their Affinity would be, or if they could develop one at all._

_As opposed to Semblances, however, which tend to be combat oriented or manipulative in some way, Affinities tend to be more passive, usually developing as abilities one would use as an addition to everyday life, rather than for specific circumstances. Rare exceptions do exist, in the same way that passive Semblances have been recorded. This chapter contains a chronicle of various Faunus Affinities noted throughout history, from the simple and unassuming, to abilities that would leave even the mightiest of Hunters in awe._

" _Damn_ …" Yang breathed under her breath as she finished reading. Weiss felt herself nod slightly at the sound.  _My sentiments exactly_.

Ruby's wide eyes scanned back over the page, making sure she hadn't misread anything. "So, if we become your Mates… we could get a second Semblance?" she asked Blake, an excited smile forming on her lips.

Blake smiled back at her, the excitement pouring from the Link almost infectious. "To put it simply, Ruby, yes, it's possible that we could develop an Affinity."

"Is it?"

All attention turned towards Weiss, who was frowning at the book in her hands.

"What do you mean, Weiss?" Blake asked.

Weiss looked up from the book, making a note to ask more about this 'Affinities' business later. Something more pressing was at the forefront of her mind at the moment. "There's something I keep noticing with what you've told us, and, again with this book. In everything you've said, it's always, 'the two Faunus'. And, in the book, it refers to 'the Mated Pair'. But… there's four of us… and… you haven't really mentioned anything about us being human yet. How exactly does that work?"

Ruby perked up at the question, curious about how this was supposed to work as well. Yang, who had kept reading further in the book, looked up so fast her neck hurt. Weiss was teetering around a subject that had been bothering her since the entire Mate business had begun.

Blake couldn't help the shudder she felt as Weiss brought up the two things she'd been dreading. Well aware that her emotions were being broadcast, Blake took a calming breath. She locked eyes with Weiss. "Do you want me to start with the human thing or the 'more than two people' thing?"

"Um…" Weiss hesitated, unsure which subject to tackle first. She turned to her human teammates, receiving only a shrug from Ruby and a surprisingly nervous glance from Yang. With a mental sigh of exasperation, Weiss chose the one she was most concerned about. "The multiple people. Is it…  _normal_  for Faunus to take more than one Mate?"

The awkwardness Weiss had asked the question with was shared with the Faunus across from her. Blake racked her brain for the best way to explain. "It.. depends. Having more than one Mate is uncommon in Vale, but not unheard of. It mostly comes down to personal preference and what type of Faunus you are."

Yang tilted her head. "Why would that matter?"

Blake fidgeted a bit in her seat. "It's not really talked about a lot, at least not by Faunus themselves, but depending on what type of Faunus you are, you tend to share…  _similarities_  with your animal equivalent."

"Is that why you like fish so much?" Ruby asked innocently.

One of Blake's ears flicked in irritation. She huffed. "Yes, Ruby, that's why. My liking fish has less to do with my personal tastes, and is more of a quirk I've inherited from my… cat-side." She paused, disliking the phrasing of her own words. She shook it off. "That can also extend to how you view gaining a Mate. Some types only have one partner at a time, others are perfectly fine having more than one Mate. For a feline Faunus like myself, having more than one Mate isn't that strange… at least, as far as other Faunus would be concerned."

Weiss nodded, accepting her answer… and her unsaid statement.  _I can just imagine how an uninformed human would react to this knowledge… oh…_  Weiss felt her cheeks warm in embarrassed realization.

Yang, however, wasn't satisfied. "Wait a sec. You keep talking about  _you_  taking us as Mates. I thought you said yesterday that this whole thing would be equal."

Blake blinked. "Oh! Well, yes it would be. If we all went through with this, then we'd all be equal Mates. For instance, you would be my Mate, but you'd also be Weiss', and vice-versa."

To her surprise, Yang seemed even more uncomfortable with her answer, squirming in her chair. "Okay, in that case, I have a _big_  question that has been bugging me since this whole thing started."

"What is it, Yang?" Blake asked, perplexed.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck anxiously. "Well, if we all became Mates with each other… what exactly does that mean for me and Ruby? 'Cause I'm open-minded about a lot of things but…" Her eyes briefly flitted towards Ruby, before staring dead into Blake's eyes. "No.  _Hell_  no."

The moment Blake understood what Yang was insinuating, her face turned a shade of red the likes none had ever seen. She threw her hands up wildly, waving them back and forth as her eyes widened to comical proportion. "Wha- No! Nonononono! That's not how… it wouldn't… she… you...,  _oh_ , dear  _Dust_ ," she muttered, burying her face in her hands.

Ruby looked between them, confused at both the way they were acting and the sheer embarrassment coming off of them. "What are you two…?" Her eyes drifted to Yang, who looked pointedly away from her, face crimson. The pieces suddenly clicked, and her eyes widened. "Oh…  _oh!_  Oh, eww! Eww, eww, eww, eww, eww! No! Why?!"

Weiss kept looking between the three of them, her face turning redder and redder as she realized exactly what was being discussed… well, what passed for discussion when two of the active parties were ignoring everything around them in embarrassment, while the remaining kept yelling negatives while getting more and more flustered.

Ruby eventually ran out of steam, falling into silence as she pressed her forehead against the table's surface, hiding her head under her arms. One didn't need a Mate's Link to feel the awkwardness and embarrassment that filled the room, none of its occupants able to look at each other.

Yang suddenly cleared her throat, the sound unnaturally loud in the quiet room. "Okay, Blake. Please explain."

"Please…" Ruby pleaded, her silver eyes peeking up at Blake from under her arms.

Blake sat up straight, willing the heat out of her cheeks. "Yes, um… it's not… common, but there are times where siblings or cousins fall in love with the same person. Rare, but not unheard of. In the case where they decide to Mate to the same person, they would form what's known as a 'siblings pact'."

"And that is?" Yang asked expectantly.

Blake folded her hands on the table, trying to appear calm. "It's rather simple. It's just an agreement between blood relation that they view each other as equals, neither sees the other as inferior, and each respect and care for each other. They also swear to always respect their shared Mate, and never make them feel like they would have to choose between them."

Ruby and Yang shared a look, before looking away, blushing. "That's it?" Yang asked, daring to relax her shoulders a bit. "Nothing… else?"

Blake shook her head. "No, that's it. At most, you two might get a little closer, but only as sisters."

Yang let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Ohh, good. So, how would we make this 'siblings pact' thing?"

"It's not that hard. When-  _if_ ," Blake instantly corrected herself, shaking her head a little as she did so. "...we advance the Mark to Stage Two, you two would just flare your aura at the same time, rather than doing it individually like it would be done normally."

Yang nodded back, sitting back in her chair. Her relief was almost palpable. Ruby smiled as she saw, and felt, Yang relax.  _She seems a bit more on board. That just leaves…_  Ruby turned to her left.

Weiss' face was still blank, her lips pressed in a tight line. A fierce blush was still in place on her face. Nervousness and uncertainty ruled her emotions, sprinkled with curiosity and… excitement? Ruby bit back a giggle.  _Maybe Weiss is more on board with this than I thought._

Weiss cleared her throat. "Well, now that that's settled," She eyed Yang and Ruby for a moment, then focused on Blake. "What about the fact that the three of us are human? How does that affect all of this?"

Blake slumped a little in her seat, the other three taken aback by the amount of disappointment and frustration rolling off of her. She grimaced in thought. "Honestly, Weiss… I have no idea." She ignored their startled looks, instead taking another book from the pile. "I've looked over everything Beacon's library has, I looked all over the internet, but I found almost nothing on Faunus/human Mating. The most I found was this." She flipped through the book, turning it around when she found the proper page. She tapped her pointer finger on a particular paragraph.

The three read through the words, when Yang suddenly shot out of her chair, leaning over the book while bracing both of her arms. "Whoa, wait a sec!  _'Great emotional and mental risk'_? The hell does that mean?" She slowly looked up from the book, staring at Blake with wide eyes. "Blake, could this… hurt you?"

Ruby's head shot up in shock, Weiss doing the same. Blake flinched away from their intense gazes. "It… could," she admitted, begrudgingly. Before any of them could respond, she explained. "The fact that I don't have a Mate's Mark of my own…  _limits_  me in the Mating experience. For instance, I can only truly feel your emotions when you let me. If you want, any of you could shut me out, like Weiss did earlier on accident, in which case, whatever I feel from you is… dulled. It's… unpleasant."

Weiss' eyes widened. She looked down out of shame. "I didn't mean to do that…" she mumbled.

Weiss suddenly felt a small nudge. It took her a moment to realize that it hadn't been physical, but mental. A wave of calm and forgiveness washed over her, making her look up. Blake was smiling at her from across the table.

Weiss was taken aback, but slowly felt a smile of her own form. She nodded.

Blake held her smile, before sighing. "To answer your question… I'm sorry, but there's just not enough information, at least that I can find. I'm starting to think that we might be the first ever group of Mates where the humans outnumber the Faunus."

Yang snorted. "Yeah, that'd just about fit us. Team RWBY, trailblazing once again!"

Blake smirked a bit, which grew when she heard Ruby giggle and saw the corner of Weiss' lips quirk. She continued. "Basically, if we go through with this, I think we'll just have to make it up as we go along."

Another snort. "Sounds like every relationship ever to me, Blake. Except…" Yang trailed off, looking thoughtful and more than a little nervous. She glanced at Weiss, who mirrored her look, knowing what Yang was thinking about.

"What?" Blake asked, a bit apprehensive.

Weiss thought for a moment, then let out a breath. "Blake… if we go through with this and… become your Mates…" She shared a look with Yang, then looked back. "If we advance the Marks… is it permanent?"

Blake's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Oh, sorry, I meant to mention before, but we got distracted. You see, there's actually three stages to a Mate's Mark. You already have a Stage One, and I've told you about Stage two. Stage Three, however, really doesn't apply to us at the moment."

Weiss frowned. "How so?"

"Because a Stage Three Mark is pretty much the same as a Stage Two, with only one major difference. Even after merging a little of your Mate's soul with your own, that aura can still be removed and absorbed back into its original owner, so long as both Mates are in agreement on breaking their bond. It's not easy, though. Depending on how the decision came around, it can possibly be a very painful process. But it  _can_  be done."

Ruby gulped at the thought, and it seemed Weiss and Yang weren't doing much better. "So then, how is that different from a Stage Three Mark?" Weiss asked hesitantly.

Blake shrugged. "Simple. Stage Three is permanent."

Ruby blinked, while Weiss and Yang gaped at her.

Blake nodded at their disbelief. "Yes, I know. But Stage Three Marks are rare. Faunus only make them when, after years, decades even, they decide that the person they've Mated themselves to is 'the one'. Stage Three is usually referred to as a Lifemate's Mark, or sometimes, a Soulmate's Mark."

Weiss let out a long breath. "So, it's not something we would have to worry about any time soon?"

Blake shook her head. "Or at all, really. Most Mates go their entire lives without forming a Lifemate's Mark, content with what they have." She looked around the table expectedly. "Any other questions?"

Yang thought for a moment, then shrugged. She looked to Weiss, who shook her head.

Seeing no questions from the two, Blake turned to Ruby. "Ruby? You haven't said much. Do you have any questions?"

Ruby stared at her. Her silver eyes looked down at the wooden table. She tapped her finger absently on the surface. Then she looked up, silver meeting amber. "Just one."

"What is it?"

"If Mating the three of us limits you, and could hurt you… why do you want to do it?"

Blake blinked at the question. She looked to her right, seeing Weiss and Yang looking at her expectantly. Blake looked down.

_She's right. This isn't how Mating is supposed to go normally. This could end very badly… for any of us. But…_

She thought back on the previous months. Talking with Ruby, reading with Weiss, bantering with Yang; she thought back to just the other night, her own body turned against her, turning her into the animal she tried so hard to ignore and repress… and there was her team, her friends, with no judgments, no disgust, just concern and compassion. She thought of waking up beside them, the feeling of contentedness she had at having those she cared most for so close.

A soft smile graced her lips as she looked at Ruby. "I guess… I don't really care about that. I love you all. If you love me back… the rest doesn't matter."

Ruby positively  _beamed_. She turned towards Yang and Weiss, glancing between them.

Yang scratched her shoulder, right above her Mark. she half-smiled, looking nervously at the ceiling. "I guess… we could try…"

Weiss drummed her fingers nervously. "I'm not… against it…"

Blake chuckled lightly at their awkward emotions, drawing their attention. "You don't all have to decide right now. The Marks will last for a few more days. How about we see how the bond affects us in our usual days, and decide from there?"

Weiss perked up a little at her suggestion. "That sounds… acceptable."

Yang nodded. "I could use a little time to get used to this. How long exactly-?"

"Six days," Blake answered automatically. When she received curious stares, she flushed. "My aura will last about seven days. We used up one yesterday, so we have six more, counting today."

Ruby nodded. "Okay. So we take the next week, and see how the Mate's Mark feels while we do our usual things. Sound right?"

There were nods around the table.

Ruby smiled. "Okay then. Let's make it official. Banzai!" she yelled, sticking her fist out to the middle of the table.

Blake blinked in surprise. She saw Weiss and Yang do the same, before a smirk slowly formed on Yang's lips. Weiss rolled her eyes, but a smile formed on her lips nonetheless. Blake smiled with them as their fists met Ruby's at the same time.

"Banzai!"


	16. Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/16/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

**Unknown Location**

"Aw, screw this!"

Neo simply tilted her head to the side, eyes never leaving her scroll as a coffee mug flew past her and shattered against the wall. She looked up from her reading, annoyed, then rolled her eyes. From the crate she was sitting on, she had a perfect view of Roman Torchwick standing over his desk, hands flat against its surface, glaring down at his scroll.

"Where the hell are they?" he growled to himself, flicking his finger across the scroll's surface, information flying by much too fast for him to actually read. "I found Little Red and the cat easy enough, so where the hell is Monkey Boy and Laser Girl?"

Neo shook her head, going back to reading, crossing her legs as she tried to relax.

This had been going on ever since the previous day. Roman had practically thrown a parade when he found the cat Faunus' information among all that Neo had stolen for him, and had immediately copied down everything noteworthy onto a large marker board he had placed behind his desk, even drawing a black stick figure with little triangles on top of its head at the top of the board. He'd been equally excited when he found the scythe-wielder's info, but, strangely, had calmed down after reading for just a few minutes.

Neo had thought it weird. He'd been ranting and raving about his eventual success over the girl, ( _Yes, your great success over a fifteen-year-old,_  Neo had thought at the time) when he'd just… stopped. The sudden silence had been enough to make Neo look up from her scroll, giving her a peculiar sight. The look on his face as she stared at his scroll had been an odd one, something between shock, disbelief, humor, and… sadness, maybe? He'd mumbled to himself for a while after that, nothing Neo could really make out. Something to do with the girls parents.

A few minutes later, though, Roman had added the girl's info to the board, complete with a little red stick figure holding a small scythe, and set to work finding out about the other two kids that he'd seen at the docks.

That was at 11:00 p.m. on Friday night.

It was now 9:00 a.m… on Sunday.

Roman had found  _nothing._  No record of a blond headed, nunchuck-wielding monkey Faunus, no record of an orange haired girl that shot laser beams.

And it was driving. Him.  _Nuts_.

Roman had briefly entertained the idea that Neo had missed something when she stole the information, an assumption that Neo had quickly dismissed with an umbrella upside the head. She knew what she had gotten, just what Roman had asked for: the entire student registry. She'd even taken the faculty records as a bonus. Neo had given him everything he'd asked for. Now she was left sitting around, because Roman had said that the moment he'd found something on all four of them, he'd have a new job for her. Now she was getting frustrated and bored, having spent almost two days stuck in their base, listening to Roman cuss out his scroll.

She did have a pretty good idea of why he couldn't find any information on the two missing teens, and a small part of her felt like she should tell him, but…

"Augh! This is getting me nowhere! Stupid, useless, good for nothing-  _ ***THUNK!***_  Ow, damn, my foot!"

...this was just too funny.

Roman flopped into his desk chair, cradling his foot after kicking his desk in frustration. He glared angrily at his scroll, before turning his head, staring at the metal ceiling. He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing at it slightly. "C'mon, I'm smarter than this," he murmured to himself. "There had to be some information somewhere…"

_*this is the way, we want to spend every day!~_

Roman stiffened in his chair, his head snapping back to look at his scroll in surprised dread. Neo slowly lifted her head as Roman's scroll continued to blare a little tune that was happy, cheerful, and not-at- _all_ embarrassing for a full-grown man to have as his ringtone.

Roman pointed at her warningly. " _Not one word._ "

Neo's expression turned unimpressed.

Roman blinked, then groaned, his shoulders slumping. "Oh, you know what I mean!" He snatched his scroll off the desk, looking at the caller ID. "Audio only… aw, man." His tone went from curious to exasperated, an annoyed frown on his lips. He hit the answer button, cutting off the sickeningly sweet song. He quickly put his scroll to his ear, a too-wide smile plastered on his lips. "Hey, Cinder. How's academy life going?"

Neo shut off her scroll, sitting up straight. Cinder calling Roman meant one of three things: she had important information for him, she needed him to do something, or she was mad at him. Whichever it was, the same thing would happen: Roman would tell her to do something about it. Which she would… for a fee, of course.

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I… what?" Roman's easygoing tone quickly turned apprehensive. "Yeah, I sent Neo in to steal some infor… wait, lockdown? She caused a lockdown?" He put his hand over the phone, turning to Neo with a look of panicked disbelief. " _You caused a lockdown?_ " he hissed at her.

Neo shrugged. She didn't really know. One of the teachers, some fat guy with a monster of a mustache, had seen her as she was leaving Beacon's server room, but she'd vanished before he could stop her.

Hey, Roman had told her not to get caught. Didn't say anything about being seen.

Roman glared at her before turning his attention back to the phone. "Uh, sorry 'bout that… you were planning to leave Friday night? Oh… oops…" Roman sweatdropped. "It was for a good reason… well, remember that little fiasco at the docks last month, the one you told me not to have happened again? I figured that if I had all the info on Beacon's students, I, and by extension, the rest of our little operation, would be better prepared for if any more of those tots decide to play hero. Pretty smart, right?" Roman's proud expression morphed into one of surprise. "Oh… you… oh…"

Roman seemed to deflate in his chair. He suddenly perked up, angry. "As a matter of fact, yes, I  _do_  have a plan… kinda… I've already got all the info I need on two of the brats from the docks, I'm just trying to find out about the other two… Well, I can't find nothing on them! Neo got the entire school registry, and I can't find anything on them… of course, they're students, they're too young to be full-fledged Hunters… what?"

Neo watched as Roman's expression went through a rapid series of emotions at whatever Cinder said. Confusion, Surprise, Realization. His face went blank for a moment, before he facepalmed.

"The Festival… right. Yeah… yeah… I'll do that… Yes, I'm taking care of it. Taurus gave me a bunch of what he said were his 'best men', and they're out getting it right now. They should be calling any time now… hey, that ain't on me! Taurus said they were his best. If they screw up, that's on them! Okay… whatever… bye."

Roman ended the call, letting his arm fall limp to his side. He pressed his fist to his forehead, eyes screwed up in thought. Then he looked over at Neo, eyes curious. "Did you realized those two are probably from different schools?"

Neo blinked, a small chunk of Roman's one-sided conversation making more sense. She smirked, nodding.

Roman's eyes narrowed. "Would you have told me even if you  _could_  talk?"

Her smirk grew. She shook her head.

Roman stared at her. "...I hate you."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Roman groaned even louder when his scroll started singing again. He answered it without even looking at the screen. " _What?_! ...oh." His tone changed instantly, becoming much more calm. "You got it. Well, I guess Taurus was right when he said you guys were his best." Roman got out of his chair, picking up his cane as he did. "Okay, I need you to take it to the warehouse on the south side of the city. We're having a big rally for the White Fang there next Saturday, and…" Roman suddenly trailed off. He turned his head towards the marker board. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the two stick figures. A large smile spread over his face, piquing Neo's interest.

"Actually, scratch that. Bring it back to base first, and gather up anyone in the Fang who knows about robotics. I need to make some…  _modifications_." He clicked off his scroll. He turned to Neo, still smiling. "Neo… how do you feel about stealing some Atlas tech?"

Neo blinked. Her lips formed a wide smile as her eyes flickered to both be pink. This sounded like fun.


	17. Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/17/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

**Chapter 17: Sunday**

"So… is there anything specific we're supposed to do now?"

Blake glance at Yang as the two made their way up the sidewalk. The streets of Vale were surprisingly empty for a weekend afternoon, but that might be because of the part of town they were in. The buildings around them were slightly older than what was usually seen in Vale, but seemed to be still in good condition. Splashes of color dotted the brown buildings, a combination of windowsill flowers and the occasional piece of street art.

"Regarding what, exactly?" Blake asked.

"Y'know, with the whole…" Yang glanced around real quick, before leaning in closer to Blake and whispering. "Mates trial run thing?"

Blake held in a snort. "'Trial run'. I've never heard it put quite like that before."

Yang gave her an unimpressed look. "Oh, hardy har har. Seriously though, are we supposed to… I don't know, act differently now?"

Blake gave her wary glance. "I'm not sure what you're asking me, Yang."

Yang let out a frustrated huff. "Look, it's just… are we girlfriends now?"

Blake blinked. "Oh! Well, yes, I suppose."

Yang raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You 'suppose'?"

Blake felt her cheeks tint in embarrassment. "Um… I mean... usually when two Faun- people," she quickly corrected herself, "...become Mates, they were in a relationship beforehand. So, since we're in the initial stages right now… yes, we're girlfriends… I mean…" She hesitated, looking nervously at Yang. "If you want to be?"

Yang held her gaze for a moment, eyebrow still raised. She laughed softly. "Well, it would be kind of awkward if we weren't." She shook her head, scratching at her ear. "Ah, jeez…"

Blake swallowed at Yang's emotions. They weren't necessarily negative, but they weren't overly positive either. Mostly confusion, exasperation, disbelief, and a good amount of excitement, all tinged with a feeling Blake was very familiar with: being overwhelmed.

"Yang?" she asked, concerned. "You okay?"

Yang glanced over at her. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. Then she opened them, giving Blake a wry smile. "Yeah, just… trying to wrap my head around all this. Okay, so…" Yang looked over her shoulder, then all around them. Seeing that the street was empty, she continued. "I'm your girlfriend, right?"

Blake nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yes, and I'm yours."

Yang grinned at that, her always-warm chest feeling just a little bit hotter. She focused. "But, Ruby is also your girlfriend. And so is Weiss."

Blake nodded again. "And I'm theirs."

Yang nodded, her brow scrunching in thought. "But Weiss is also my girlfriend… and Ruby's."

"...this is weird, isn't it?"

Yang couldn't help but laugh at Blake's matter-of-fact tone. "Oh, extremely. I just… I've never really kept a girlfriend for very long. I liked them, but… I never felt that  _spark_ , y'know? Now I've got  _two_ girlfriends at the same time… and I'm sharing them with Ruby... " Yang shook her head in disbelief. "And I really thought my life couldn't get any weirder."

Blake frowned. "Sorry…" she said quietly.

She jumped slightly when she felt Yang's hand on her arm. The blonde gave her a crooked smile. "Hey, weird doesn't mean bad. I'm just trying to figure out how this would work."

Blake relaxed a little when Yang's hand trailed down her arm, interlacing their fingers. "What are you having trouble with?" she asked, hoping to smooth out any potential problems.

Yang squeezed Blake's hand, swinging their arms gently back and forth. "Like… how are dates supposed to work with four people? Like, if we go out to eat or something?"

After a few moments of thinking, Blake answered. "Well, we already go out and have fun as a team. It would probably be similar, just… we'd be more affectionate?"

Yang hummed. "Maybe… we'll have to figure that one out later." Yang then looked up as they reached the end of the sidewalk. They came to a stop as cars crossed the intersection, waiting for the signal that they could cross. Yang turned to Blake. "So how far is this place, again?"

Blake fidgeted under her gaze. "Just up the street… You didn't have to come with me, you know. I can do this by myself."

Yang rolled her eyes, smiling. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to. Besides, even if we don't decide to be Mates, I'm still your partner, Blake. I want to know where I need to go if you run out again."

The light changed, and the two girls quickly crossed the street. "I know that…" Blake said hesitantly, looking down. "It's just… I never wanted you guys to see this side of me."

Yang looked back at her, concerned. "What do ya mean, Blake? I thought you were glad we know you're a Faunus?"

"I am!" Blake said quickly, meeting Yang's eyes. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you're all okay with what I am. It's just…" Her cheeks tinted as she looked away. "I didn't want you to know what all comes with being a Faunus."

Yang frowned, giving Blake's hand a squeeze. "Blake, I think we've proved by now that we don't care about that."

Blake squeezed back, her lips tugging upwards a little. "I know… I'm just so used to keeping secrets… it's hard to remember I don't have to anymore." Blake stopped in front of a storefront. "This is the place."

Yang craned her neck up to look over the building. Like most buildings in Vale, it was built to blend in, fitting seamlessly into the rest of the buildings around it. Simple glass windows lined the front wall, various ad posters plastered throughout. Above the door was a large, if plain sign that read:  _Grenda's Goods_.

Yang snickered a little at the name. "Just a few letters off from something  _really_  funny." She turned her eyes to the door, her eyebrows raising at a sign hung proudly above the doorknob:  _Faunus Welcome!_

Yang frowned as she followed Blake inside.  _They shouldn't have to advertise that. It should just go without saying._  She stayed quiet as she looked around the store. It looked the same as any other drugstore she'd ever been in, maybe a little on the small side. Though, as she looked over the shelves at the various products, she saw a lot of brands she didn't recognize. And there was little, if anything with the Schnee logo on it.

"Okay," Blake said as she turned around, drawing Yang's attention. "The pharmacy is in the back of the store. I might need you to sign some things, but until then… I guess just look around."

"Okay. Let me know when you need me." Yang turned her attention to the various shelves around her, looking over the products in more detail.

Blake gave her a nod, before moving away, headed for the back of the store, where the wall was lined with various medicines. A middle-aged woman stood behind the counter, her head down as she lazily read a magazine. A pair of small goat horns stuck out through her curly brown hair.

"Excuse me?" Blake asked. The woman looked up from her reading, green eyes focusing on Blake.

"Need something, sweetie?"

Blake reached for the purse she had hanging off of her shoulder. She pulled out the empty orange bottle, placing it on the counter. "I'm here to refill my prescription. I called ahead."

The woman gave a kind smile, folding the corner of the page she was on as she closed her magazine. "Of course, dear." She picked up the bottle, her eyes skimming over the label. She paused, a puzzled look on her face. She looked back at Blake, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes flicked up at her bow.

Blake stiffened at the look, her cheeks tinting. "Um…" She glanced back toward the front of the store. The only other person in the store at the moment was Yang, still making her way up the aisles. Blake turned back, slowly reaching a hand towards her bow.

Much to her relief, the woman waved her off. "No need for that, sweetie. I understand. Just surprised me is all." The woman turned to her side, at an older-style computer terminal sitting on the counter. She typed for a few seconds. "Let's see here… Blake Belladonna, age: 17. Species: Faunus. Subspecies: Cat. Refill for… oh." The woman frowned. "That's odd. It says here that you were supposed to get your refill last month. Is that correct?"

Blake shifted uncomfortably, well aware that this issue would arise. "No, that's correct. I… missed my refill last month."

The goat Faunus looked up in surprise. Her cheeks tinted a little. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry."

Blake, sporting a much deeper blush, gave her a  _very_  awkward smile. "It's fine. I, um… it wasn't much of an issue, luckily."

The woman's eyes widened a little, her head tilting just a bit in confusion. Her gaze suddenly left Blake, staring off over her shoulder. "Ohhh…" she said in comprehension.

Now confused herself, Blake followed her gaze to see only Yang, the blonde crouching slightly to look at some bottles on the lower shelves of the cosmetics.

Blake's blush increased tenfold as her head snapped forward. The woman behind the counter gave her a knowing look. "A human Mate… how daring." the woman smirked ever so slightly.

Blake just looked at the ground, uncomfortable feelings welling up inside her.

Yang's head suddenly snapped up, her eyes landing on the two of them. She stood up straight, looking ready to walk over to them.

Blake, feeling Yang's worry, started to look back at her, when the woman chuckled slightly. She turned back to find the woman smiling gently at her. "Now, now, I didn't mean anything by it. I have no more right to judge your taste in Mates than anyone else. I just don't see that very often around here."

Blake blinked, before a smile slowly spread on her lips. "It's alright. It, um… kind of surprised me, too," she ended with a small tint in her cheeks. She turned around to Yang, giving her a reassuring smile. Yang smiled back after a moment, turning her attention back to the shelves.

"I'll bet." With a smile, the woman turned around, pulling the proper medicine from the upper shelves. "Freshly Mated, I take it?"

Blake was surprised, unprepared for small talk. "Um… yes… just a couple days ago. How did you know?"

The woman snorted as she started counting pills. "Same way any Faunus would. The second I saw her I felt that pressure."

Blake tilted her head in confusion. "Pressure?"

The woman paused mid-count. She gave Blake a curious look. "Yes, you know… that pressure you feel when you look at another Faunus' Mate? Like something is pressing on your shoulders?"

Blake stared at her in confusion, before her eyes widened. She had felt that before, several times in the White Fang! Nothing overpowering, just a slight pressure, an uncomfortable feeling, like she was about to make a bad decision.

"Yes… I've felt that before… I never knew that was what it was, though…"

The woman frowned. "Didn't your parents teach you this?"

Blake stiffened, her lips forming a tight line. She looked away from the woman, her hand grasping her other arm tightly. "It's… complicated."

The woman's eyes widened, before her features softened in sympathy. "I'm sorry," she said simply.

Blake nodded. There wasn't much else she could say.

The woman cleared her throat slightly, before explaining. "Well, to put it simply, we Faunus have an innate sense about who is a possible Mate, and who is already taken by another Faunus. When I looked at your friend over there, I felt that pressure, like being interested in her was a bad idea."

Blake nodded, stunned that something so basic about her own species had never been known to her. "And all Faunus can feel this?"

"Uh-huh." The lady hummed as she started counting again. "Good thing, too. Nothing worse than seeing two Faunus fight over a Mate, let me tell you. There are  _Grimm_  that do less damage than one of those fights." The woman screwed the lid shut on a new prescription bottle, putting a new label on it. "There you go. That'll be thirty-two Lien."

Blake nodded, still trying to process the new information. She pulled out her wallet, counting up the proper amount before giving it to the woman. "Thank you."

The woman smiled. "No problem. Remember, take one a week, and  _don't forget_. Need anything else?"

"Um, yes actually. Would it be possible for my partner to be able to pick up my prescription, just in case there's a day when I can't do it myself?"

The woman frowned, glancing over Blake's shoulder at Yang. "Well… that right is usually only given to family, but… as your Mate, she should count. The problem is, she only has an initial Mate's Mark, right?" Blake nodded. "Well, that makes it a little iffy… Could I speak to her?"

Surprised, Blake hesitated. "Um… I guess. " Blake turned around to call Yang over… and groaned.

Yang currently stood in front of the various hair conditioners, a particular bottle in one hand and a handful of her hair in the other. The bottle she held was a particular brand intended for certain dog-type Faunus. In big, bold letters it advertised:  **For breeds with thick and unruly hair. Give yourself a healthy shine!**

Yang looked between the bottle and her hair. Blake could practically see the gears turning in her head.

She facepalmed. "Yang!"

Yang jumped, fumbling with the bottle as she tried not to drop it. She looked to Blake, who simply gave her a withering stare. Yang let out a sheepish laugh, letting her hair fall down to her back, putting the bottle back on the shelf. "Uh… sorry?"

Blake just shook her head in exasperation, ignoring the goat-Faunus sniggering behind her. "Can you come here for a second?"

"Oh! Sure." Yang walked up, looking between Blake and the woman. "What's up?"

The woman looked her in the eyes. "This young lady asked if you could pick up her prescriptions for her. Are you aware we usually only let family members do this?"

Yang, recognizing that this was going to be a serious discussion, wiped the smile from her face, replacing it with a more neutral expression. She nodded politely. "Yes, ma'am, I figured as much. But since I'm her partner, I was hoping we could figure something out."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "By partner, I assume you mean 'Academy partners', right?" Both girls nodded. The woman hummed to herself. "Well, we have a policy that lets partners assist with each other's medical needs." She reached under the counter, searching. "Let's see here… sorry, I really meant to clean this out a while back, just a moment… ah, here we go." She pulled out a medical form, placing it on the counter. "I'll just need you both to fill this out for me." She pulled a pen out from behind her ear, handing it to Yang.

Yang grinned. "Perfect! Okay, name… address…" Yang mumbled to herself as she filled in her information, handing it to Blake when she was done.

Once it was filled, the woman looked it over, nodding. "That should do. Next time, if you have to come in, just show your school ID and we should be good."

Blake smiled at her, putting her filled prescription in her purse. "Thank you, ma'am."

The woman waved her off. "No problem, dear. Just remember,  _every week_. Got it?"

Blake pinked a bit. "Got it. C'mon, Yang."

"Lead the way, Blake." Yang followed Blake out of the store, nodding politely to the goat-Faunus as they left. Once they were back on the street, she turned to Blake. "So, any other plans for today?"

Blake shrugged. "Not really. We could go back to Beacon and see if Weiss and Ruby have any-"

She paused mid-word as emotions not her own washed over her, faint but noticeable.

From one source, frustration, exasperation, endearment.

From the other, sheepishness, embarrassment, and an underlying sense of excitement.

Blake blinked, an action Yang mirrored. They looked at each other.

"Blake? What were Ruby and Weiss doing when we left?"

"Weiss was helping Ruby with her Dust Studies homework, if I remember correctly."

…

"...yeah, I'm not getting in the middle of that."

Blake couldn't help but agree. Interrupting Weiss during one of her and Ruby's study sessions was a perfect way to turn a frustrating experience into an outright bad one.

Still, the fact that, as annoyed as Weiss was at the moment, she was also feeling endearment… Blake smiled at the thought.

Yang let out a huff. "Well, great. Now what do we do?"

Blake thought for a moment. An idea popped into her head. "Well…" She paused when Yang's eyes met her, suddenly feeling… shy. "There's a café nearby that I like to go to. Maybe we could go have lunch… just the two of us?"

Yang blinked, and after a moment, her lips turned into a sly grin. "Why, Miss Belladonna! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just asked me out on a date!"

Blake couldn't help but grin at Yang's teasing tone. "Maybe I did."

Yang's smirk faded to a soft smile. With a sudden movement, she linked her arm with Blake's. "Well then… lead the way."

The two continued down the street, each reveling in the warm feelings coming off the other.

Neither noticed the set of red eyes watching them from the rooftops.

* * *

**Back at Beacon:**

Smoke billowed out of the dorm window. A scent of ozone and burnt wood filled the air.

Weiss stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed, tapping her foot on the ground. Ruby stood across from her, staring at the ground, looking to all the world like a scolded child.

"...Ruby?" Weiss' voice was surprisingly calm. Almost disturbingly so.

"...yeah…?" Ruby responded, hesitantly.

"The assignment was to create a concussive burst of air using only a combination of two types of Dust. The book even said that the best combination for that was ice and fire, correct?"

"...yeah…?"

"So why did you use  _ **earth**_ and  _ **lightning**_?"

"Well, earth is more solid than ice… and lightning is hotter than fire… I just figured that if I used them instead… I'd get a bigger boom?"

Weiss leveled a glare at her. Then her eyes panned to the smoldering, twisted remains of what used to be her desk. She covered her face with her hand. "Well… I can't deny that you achieved  _that_.."

"...so… I passed the assignment?"

" _No, you did not!_ "

"Aww…"


	18. Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/18/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

"So we charged the beast, using nothing but a rusty kitchen knife and a sack of potatoes…"

Weiss, with commendable effort, listened to every word of Professor Port's long,  _long_  'lecture'. Most of the class had either tuned out or dozed off about fifteen minutes ago, something that Weiss, even as strict and proper as she was, could not blame them for. There was no doubt that Professor Port was an intelligent man with decades of experience under his belt. Any knowledge he could share with younger generations was invaluable, sure to help them in the future, perhaps even save their lives!

...if only his method of teaching wasn't so unbelievably, unabashedly  _boring!_

Still, Weiss pressed on. She was one of the few in class, possibly the whole school, that had figured out how Professor Port worked. If you listened long enough, underneath all of that pointless ego-boosting-

"...with a mighty blow to the back of the beast's skull, Reginald stunned it long enough to plunge my borrowed rusted blade into the small of its back, right into its heart!"

-there is actually something to learn.

Weiss quickly, but elegantly, wrote in her notebook:  _Creep heart located in the lower abdomen, close to the skin of its back; susceptible to blunt attacks to the back of the head._

Weiss smiled as she set her pen down. She half-listened to the rest of Port's story, but experience had taught her that any more useful information he might have would not be revealed for another five to seven minutes. Instead, she took the time to look around the room, seeing how many people were still conscious.

_Let's see… Nora, out like a light… Pyrrha doesn't look that far behind her… how is Ren sleeping with his eyes open? Meditating probably… huh, Jaune is actually taking notes… not very good ones, but still, he's making the effort… ugh, Ruby… she better not drool over the new notebook I gave her… Yeah, Blake's lost all interest… Yang, you cannot possibly be as into these vainglorious stories as you're acting like._

True enough, while everyone seated around her were either sleeping or just ignoring Port's lecture (a few even had the audacity to be playing with their scrolls under their desks), Yang sat there in the front row, seemingly hanging onto every word. One could even describe her as starry-eyed.

Weiss rolled her eyes.  _Sometimes I wonder just what goes on in her head…_

…

Weiss blinked.

_Right… the Link…_

Weiss hesitated. Aside from that first time in the courtyard, she hadn't used the Link herself yet. She'd caught brief glimpses without meaning to, like the other morning while Ruby and Yang were talking, but that was by accident. Plus, there was that nagging feeling in the back of her head, like using the Link was some kind of taboo.

Weiss frowned. She knew exactly where that feeling came from, or rather,  _who_  it came from.

_**Weiss, you're nothing like him. I know it.** _

Weiss sighed. She straightened in her chair, determined. Blake was right. She was more than her father's daughter. She was not a repository for her father's thoughts and views, nor an obedient little follower who just regurgitated his words and actions. She was her own person.

And if she wanted to use the Link with her… girlfriend… she would.

She paused.  _It's still weird to think of Yang as my girlfriend… along with Ruby… and Blake… so weird…_

_Not unpleasant, though… but still weird._

Weiss shook her head. She was getting off topic. She spared a glance at Professor Port, who was still blustering on about his great(ly exaggerated) feats in hunting Grimm. She focused back on Yang, who still seemed to be hanging onto his every word.

Weiss took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she closed her eyes.

Back in the void. No form, no substance, just three glowing masses of aura, not counting her own. Ruby's red aura was dimmed, a phenomena Weiss attributed to her being asleep. She noticed the violet shroud around Blake's black aura flickered, likely because she was starting to lose the fight against her own imminent slumber. Weiss ignored them, stretching out a thin line of white aura towards the brightly glowing yellow. She made contact.

_Excitement. Awe. Disbelief. Enjoyment._

Weiss' eyes snapped open as she stared at Yang in bewilderment, who didn't seem to notice her brief intrusion. It… wasn't an act. She honestly was enjoying Port's long-winded tales.

Weiss shook her head in disbelief, a bemused smile on her lips. She made a mental note to ask Yang about it later, as well as check what Yang's grade was in the class.

Weiss picked up her pen, ready for when Port said his next bit of actually useful information, when…

…

... _he's staring at me again._

Weiss just barely refrained from audibly growling in frustration. She was briefly reminded of a talk she and her… girlfriends… had back at their dorm earlier that morning.

* * *

"What do you mean,  _all the Faunus will know?!_ "

Blake flinched back her cat ears pinning down against her head at Weiss' shrill shriek. The heiress was staring at her with a mix of anger and shock. Ruby stared at her as well, more in surprise than anger, while Yang sat passively on Blake's bed, putting on her boots.

Blake hesitantly tried to elaborate. "It's an ability all Faunus have. We can sense whether or not a person is Mated to another Faunus."

"All Faunus?!" Weiss shrieked, eyes wild. "You didn't think to tell us this before?"

"Well, I didn't know before!" Blake defended.

"You-what do you mean you didn't know before? How could you not know?!"

"Because no one taught me!"

Weiss' mouth opened to yell back, but her voice caught in her throat. She stared at Blake in surprise, which was mirrored by Ruby. Yang looked up from her boots, eyes going between the two.

Blake stiffened where she stood, realizing what she had just said. When the silence stretched on, she looked away from Weiss towards the ground. With a sigh, she explained. "Most Faunus are told about this by their parents. And… I haven't seen mine in a very long time."

Weiss' eyes widened, realizing the sheer enormity of what Blake was revealing to them. "But… surely someone would have..."

Blake shook her head. "By the time I was old enough that someone would have, the White Fang was just starting to shift from peaceful protestors to… well… what they are now. Everything was changing and… I never got 'The Talk', which, for a Faunus, would have included this. I just kind of… pieced things together myself over the years." She laughed softly, though with little humor. "I guess I missed a few things."

Weiss stared at her, her eyes softening. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them, there was acceptance in them. "Okay… then, explain it to me, Blake. How would the Faunus in school know that we're all… semi-Mated?"

Blake felt her lips quirk at Weiss' awkward attempt to classify what they were going through. She ignored it as she explained. "As I understand it, it's something we're born with; a safety mechanism. We just…  _know_ if someone we see, human or Faunus, is already Mated to someone."

Weiss nodded slowly, processing the information. "Okay…  _how_  do you know? Do you get some type of feeling or something?"

Blake nodded. "Something like that. It's like… have you ever had an idea, and, once you start thinking about it, you get this feeling of… apprehension? Like you just  _know_  something bad is going to happen?" Weiss nodded, Ruby and Yang doing so as well. "Well, it's similar to that. Looking back, I've felt it a few times. Like, this tightness in my shoulders. It's not uncomfortable, but it's noticeable."

"Hmm…" Weiss hummed, thinking. "So… every Faunus, in school and out, will know we're… dating." Weiss fidgeted where she stood. "Even though our Marks are temporary at the moment?"

Blake nodded again, a little sheepishly. "Yeah. Actually… because they're temporary, the feeling will be more noticeable than it normally would be."

Weiss blinked. Ruby tilted her head in confusion, while Yang just finished lacing up her boots.

For a moment, Weiss looked like she was going to start berating again, but instead, she just sighed tiredly. "Of course it will be. Why, exactly?"

Blake, feeling a little embarrassed, awkwardly tried to explain. "Typically, what we're doing is considered a time of transition, seeing if we like being Mates or not. Because of that, the feeling our Mate's Marks are giving off is stronger than usual, to dissuade other Faunus from interfering."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "'Interfering' how?"

"I think I get it." All attention turned to Yang as she stood up from the bed. She glanced at Weiss, then met Blake's eyes. "Basically, our Marks are telling all the other Faunus, 'our situation is complicated enough. Please don't hit on us.' That about right?"

Blake huffed a little at her wording. "A bit simplified, but, basically, yes."

"So… that's it then?" Their attention was drawn back to Weiss, who was starting out the window with a blank face. "Everyone will just… know?"

Ruby looked between her teammates, a little confused, before settling on Weiss. "Is that a bad thing? Did you want to keep us being Mated a secret?"

Weiss met her eyes, blue orbs panning from silver, to lavender, then ending on amber. She spoke softly. "I… I don't know if I'm comfortable with everyone knowing what we're doing. I just thought we could keep it private… until we figured everything out."

The others frowned, both at Weiss' words and the feelings she was giving off. Nervousness, worry, hesitation, and… fear. Ruby and Yang were confused about that last one. The others they understood; to say the sisters had no worries of their own would be an outright lie. But fear, especially the sheer amount Weiss was feeling at the moment? They didn't get it…

But Blake did. After their conversation the other night, Blake had a very good idea what, or rather,  _who_  made Weiss so scared of her being in a Faunus-human relationship being made public.

It took a lot of effort to stop the sudden burst of anger growing in Blake's chest so that her team wouldn't notice it. She could be angry later. Right now, calming Weiss was more important.

"We might still be able to do that," she said confidently, drawing her teammates' attention.

"Uh… how?" Yang asked. She chuckled lightly. "Kinda hard to keep this under wraps when we basically have a neon sign over our heads saying 'Taken!'"

Blake nodded. "Yes, but we do have one thing going for us. Only Faunus will be able to sense our Marks. And I doubt any of them will say anything."

Weiss stared into her eyes, a spark of hope forming in her. "What makes you say that?"

Blake shrugged. "Respect, mostly. What we're going through right now… it's…  _special_. It's not something you're supposed to do lightly. Most Faunus will recognize that and should leave us be. It wouldn't be... It wouldn't be proper if they did."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "So, all of Faunuskind work on the honor system?" She sounded less than impressed.

Blake gave a groan of a sigh. "More like their instincts will tell them to leave us alone, in the same way, they'll sense our Marks in the first place."

Weiss, while still apprehensive, felt a little better. She still felt way in over her head with how little she knew about the situation she'd had thrust upon her, but… she trusted Blake. If Blake said everything should be fine, then she would believe her.

Yang hummed. "Maybe, but I don't know. Instincts or not, there's always that one guy who just does what he wants. Just saying."

* * *

_I hate it when Yang is right._

Frustrated, Weiss spun her head around to the desk directly behind her, glaring at the source of her ire.

Blake had been right, for the most part. From breakfast in the cafeteria to walking the halls, Weiss had noticed no fewer than a dozen different Faunus staring at her at one point or another. Yet, no one said a word. Whenever Weiss had met their wide eyes, their response was either to continue on indifferent, or to give her a brief nod before moving on. There was even a female mouse Faunus who smiled at her, blushing. As the day wore on, Weiss slowly became more and more at ease with the brief curious stares she got, and started thinking that she had worried over nothing.

Then came Grimm Studies.

Out of the thirty-one other students with her in class, nine were Faunus, not counting Blake. Of those nine's initial reactions, four had ignored her, three had nodded to her, one was the aforementioned smiling mouse Faunus…

And the last just kept  _staring_.

Weiss took in his features. Rather tall, a bit bulky. Small silver eyes, a shade much darker than Ruby's. A small sideways scar ran across his chin, reaching toward his left ear. He had short, thick brown hair, topped with two rounded furry ears. Bear ears, if she had to guess.

Weiss didn't know him, outside of seeing him wield some type of claymore/bazooka weapon during the occasional combat class.

She hadn't said two words to the guy since the year started. She couldn't even recall his name. And as far as she could remember, he had completely ignored her since school started.

But now, it was like his eyes were glued to the back of her head. Since entering class, she had caught him staring at her six times, and each time it took longer and longer for him to look away.

Now he had grown bolder. When Weiss narrowed her eyes at him, He didn't just stare back; he  _sneered_ , his nose flaring as his lips pulled up in a mocking grin.

Outrage flooded her. She had a good idea why she had drawn his attention this day, but that just made her angrier. What was his problem? What gave him the right to judge her, for any reason? What business was it of his?

Weiss scowled up at the bear Faunus. His lips pulled up wider, showing off his sharpened teeth. He opened his mouth to say something…

...when a crumpled ball of paper bounced off his head.

The bear Faunus blinked, with Weiss doing the same. The Faunus stared at the wad of paper now sitting on his desk, then scowled at a point past Weiss, lower on the rows of desks.

Weiss followed his gaze, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Yang glaring upwards towards them. Her lips were set in a tight line, which Weiss recognized as her attempting to control her temper. With a blink, her lavender eyes briefly glowed red.

The bear Faunus flinched, but then screwed his face into an angry sneer. Again, he seemed about to speak, when he flinched back again, almost violently, his eyes wide. Weiss was confused, until she looked at the seat just behind and to the right of Yang.

Blake was staring up at the bear Faunus, her face expressionless. She showed no emotion. She just stared, her eyes locking with his.

Her deep, amber,  _slitted_  eyes.

Weiss didn't know how, but she somehow just  _knew_  that there was some unspoken conversation going on between the Faunus. After a few moments, the bear Faunus broke his gaze, ignoring everything around him as he scowled at his desk.

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief. She stiffened when she suddenly felt a mass of emotions wash over her; concern, worry, remorse… she turned back towards the front desks.

Her eyes met with Blake's, the Faunus' now rounded eyes looking to her in concern. A quick glance showed Yang, eyes back to lavender, giving her a similar worried expression. Even Ruby was looking up at her, frowning in confusion as she blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes.

Weiss was stunned for a moment, before she felt a warm tingle in her chest. She smiled down at them, giving them a little wave.  _I'm okay_.

The sisters seemed to get the message, Yang grinning back with a nod as she turned her attention back to Professor Port (who was so engrossed giving visual aid to his stories in the form of chalk and blackboard that he hadn't noticed the staredown happening just behind him). Ruby smiled, before promptly putting her head back on her desk, likely to return to dreamland.

Blake held her gaze, though, a soft frown on her lips, her expression apologetic.

Weiss felt a twinge in her chest.  _Blake, really, I'm fine. Thank you._  Weiss hoped that Blake could feel the thankfulness and contentedness she was feeling right now.

After a moment, Blake smiled back, before turning back to Port's lecture.

Weiss did the same. As she listened to Port's blustering, however, she slowly started to think about what had just happened. About how her friends… her girlfriends… had defended her, without even speaking a word.

Weiss felt the smile that was plastered on her lips, and couldn't bring herself to wipe it away. Despite her misgivings about the Mates situation, she couldn't deny it: having that kind of emotional and physical support? It was a very nice feeling. One she didn't want to go away.


	19. Tuesday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/19/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

"Everyone line up! We have a busy class ahead of ourselves!"

Students scrambled to form a proper line in the center of the Training Hall. Professor Goodwitch stood before them, scrutinizing the mixed class of upper and lower classmen.

Close to the center of the line, Ruby stood with her team. She glanced to her left, briefly making eye contact with Weiss. Even without the Link, both partners could tell that the other was nervous. Ruby reached behind her, rubbing her hand along the edge of the compacted Crescent Rose. Weiss looked down at Myrtenaster, double checking that all its Dust cylinders were filled.

Blake looked at them from the corner of her eye, trying not to frown. Truth be told, she was a little worried as well. This was their first combat practice since being Marked, and much as it pained her to admit it, she had no idea how that would affect them, or herself. She had tried to remember seeing Mated Faunus fight in the White Fang, only to curse herself as she realized how little she'd paid attention to that kind of thing in the past, if she noticed it at all. And as usual, any reading she had done on the subject had been infuriatingly vague, with mentions of how Mates 'compliment' each other in battle, or 'move as one'. That could mean anything!

Something bumped her shoulder. Blake turned her head, meeting with Yang's eyes. The blonde simply smiled, and a feeling of relaxation washed over her.

This was quickly becoming a regular thing with Yang. Most of the previous day, any time Ruby, Blake, or Weiss started to stress, Yang would send a wave of calm out to whoever she felt needed it. When Ruby was struggling during a pop quiz, or when Weiss had panicked over getting a B on her latest history assignment (there had been a tinge of annoyance with that wave of emotion, as Yang had sent it while staring at the D she'd received), even earlier that morning when Blake had had to explain just how little she knew about how combat played into being Mates. Yang was right there, reminding them all to take a breath.

Blake smiled back, some of the tension in her shoulders leaving. She looked back at Weiss and Ruby, seeing Ruby take a deep breath as she stopped fidgeting where she stood. Weiss glanced out of the corner of her eye, the corner of her lips twitching up briefly, before she schooled her expression, facing forward.

Blake and Yang shared their own look, both smiling as Yang rolled her eyes. They, too, focused on Goodwitch as class got underway.

"Okay, students," Goodwitch began as she slowly paced up and down the line. "Today we will be focusing on fighting while outnumbered. While I know most of you have little trouble when fighting Grimm one-on-one, you will not always have that luxury. Beowolves, Creeps, and Ursas are just a few of many types of Grimm that will use their numbers against you. And as much as we stress teamwork and cooperation, there is always the chance that you will be forced into a situation where you will be on your own against numerous Grimm.

"Now, my original plan was to have single students battle against a group of training bots. However, as we have unexpectedly reached a shortage of our usual training bots…" Her eyes narrowed as her gaze lingered on Weiss. The heiress looked down, a red dusting in her cheeks. "...instead, I'm going to experiment a little. Today, all team leaders will be separated from their teams."

There was a brief murmur of surprise from the students, with Ruby glancing nervously towards her girlfriends. Goodwitch continued. "The team leaders will be competing in a one-on-three match against the remaining members of a randomly selected team." More murmurs, a little louder, with a few squeaks of complaint mixed in. Goodwitch pushed on before they could get any steam. "I want to stress that today's goal is  _not_  for a victory for the team leaders. Your goal for today is to simply survive. Try to get a handle on fighting outnumbered, and learn from any mistakes you make.

"However, just because I don't expect you to win is  _not_  an excuse to not try. For the remaining team members, your goal is to keep consistent teamwork without your team leader to lead you. While a Hunter should always defer to the one delegated to lead them, they must not become dependent on being told what to do. Prove that your teams can function properly when separated from your commander."

Ruby gulped. She had been outnumbered against Grimm before, and she'd always come out on top… well, most of the time. But against other students? She'd either fought them one-on-one or in a group with her team.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Weiss staring at her, her stern expression conflicting with the softness of her eyes.

"You can do this, Ruby," she said confidently.

Behind her, Yang pumped her fist. "Yeah, you got this, Little Sis! Show'em what you're made of!" Blake nodded at her words, cementing her support as well.

Ruby blinked, then smiled widely.  _Yeah, I can do this!_

A little ways down the line, Jaune let out a groan. "I am so dead."

Pyrrha frowned at his words. "Give yourself more credit, Jaune. You're getting a lot better."

Jaune couldn't help the disbelieving laugh that escaped his lips. "Well, yeah, a little on the one-on-one fights. But against a whole team? I'm gonna get creamed."

"Well, of course, you are with that attitude," Nora piped in chipperly.

Ren nodded in agreement. "If you think you'll lose, you've already lost."

Jaune threw up his hands. "Then I'm doubly screwed!"

Ren let out a sigh as his borrowed phrase sailed right over Jaune's head, Nora rolling her eyes even as she smiled. Pyrrha let out a sigh of empathy, trying to remember if she'd restocked their dorm on bandages.

A sharp smacking sound echoed throughout the room as Goodwitch hit her crop into her palm. "Quiet down!" She pulled out her scroll, glancing at it. "First match: Nickolas Howler vs. Team WNDD."

So began a series of the most one-sided fights any of the class had witnessed. Out of the first three matches, only one team leader managed to eliminate another student before being eliminated themselves. No matter how experienced or talented the leader was, once they had blades and bullets coming at them from three different directions from equally skilled opponents, everything went out the window.

Ruby watched from the gallery as her fellow leaders got utterly trounced, her earlier confidence lowering further and further with each defeat. She felt another burst of calm wash over her from Yang, but it didn't help much. As the last team leader limped back to her team, cradling her numbed arm via an electric Dust-charged mace, Goodwitch called out the next fight.

"Ruby Rose vs. Team CRDL."

Ruby groaned. "Aw, man…" she muttered as she made her way down to the hall floor, dreading the fight to come.

Team CRDL was everything Ruby had been afraid of when she first came to Beacon. A group of bullies who picked on anyone they could seemingly just because they could. They were especially mean to Faunus, for reasons Ruby just could not fathom.

"Make it hurt, Rubes!"

Ruby glanced behind her. Yang still had her hands cupped around her mouth, a rather mean smile on her lips as she looked at the three members of Team CRDL moving to the center of the room.

Though they stayed silent, Blake and Weiss shared similar thoughts to their blonde counterpart. Blake narrowed her eyes at said team, while Weiss gave them a troubled look.

"Ms. Xiao-Long... " Goodwitch warned as she looked at Yang.

Yang gave a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry."

Ruby smiled at them, relaxing a little.  _I got this, I got this, I got this_. She took her place on her side of the hall, standing across from the three bullies. She quickly went through what she knew about them.

_Russel Thrush. Wields two daggers and is quick on his feet._

_Dove Bronzewing. Shortsword, very strong, but deceptively fast._

_Sky Lark. Wields a halberd, but is kinda clumsy._

_All three are fast and can pull off acrobatic moves._

Ruby made a mental note to thank Weiss for going over what happened during combat practice. Ruby had mostly just done it so she could learn about the different kinds of weapons other students had, but now she was glad she had an idea of how they fought.

Or, at least, she hoped she did.

Ruby's eyes flicked between each boy as they drew their weapons, each one smirking at her. Even Russel, the smallest one of the three, towered a full foot over her, and Ruby got the feeling that the size difference was going to their heads. Ruby swallowed down her nerves.

_Okay, they're underestimating me… maybe I can use that?_

She started to reach behind her for her weapon, only to pause. A wave of emotion washed over her again, only this time, she could feel it coming from all three members of her team. Confidence, relaxation, reassurance…

Ruby closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She let it out slowly. Then she opened her eyes. She smiled.

In a quick motion, she reached behind her. With a click and a wave of her arm, Crescent Rose unfolded, towering over Ruby in all her terrifying beauty. Ruby got into her fighting stance.

Team CRDL did the same, though Ruby noticed the wary look they gave the curved blade of Crescent. Her smile widened.

Professor Goodwitch looked between the two sides. When she had deemed them both ready, she called out "Match set. Begin!"

Team CRDL rushed forward, Russel and Dove breaking off to the sides, while Lark charged straight for Ruby, his halberd held above his head. He brought the ax down, forcing Ruby to block with Crescent's snaith, a dull thud echoing as metal hit metal. Out of the corner of her eyes, Ruby saw Russel and Dove moving to flank her. She shifted her weight slightly, letting Lark push her down slightly, until Crescent's heel was pointed towards Dove.

Ruby hit the trigger, firing off a round that hit Dove in the shoulder. Ruby used the recoil of the shot to slice to the right, forcing Lark to duck and Russel to dive to the side. Russel rolled as he hit the ground, then sprung forward, both daggers aimed at Ruby's chest. Ruby leaped back, hitting Crescent's transformation switch. She aimed at Russel and fired, again causing him to dodge, then shot at Lark, who stumbled out of the way.

Ruby took that as her cue to go on the offensive. With another click, Crescent went back to her scythe form, and Ruby charged at Lark. She swung at him, one, two, three times, each one being blocked by his halberd. She went for a fourth, feeling his guard about to break-

... _huh?_

_**A flash of yellow, white, and black. Panic.** _

_**Something… behind her?** _

_**Duck.** _

Ruby flinched down, Dove's sword passing right through where her head used to be. With a quick flick of her wrists, Ruby turned Crescent Rose sideways. She pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed harmlessly into the ground, but the recoil sent the bottom of Crescent's snaith right into Dove's jaw. Ruby followed up with a wide slash, catching Dove across the chest as he stumbled back. He grunted in pain as he backed up, but Ruby didn't give him the chance. With the momentum of her swing, Ruby spun all the way around, Crescent Rose transforming as she did. She landed in a kneel, taking aim, and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed throughout the hall as the round hit the stunned Dove dead center in his chest. The force of the shot at such close range lifted him off of his feet, sending him sailing across the hall. He slammed into the wall, sliding down it with a groan.

For a moment, the hall was silent. Everyone stared in shock, either at the downed Dove or at Ruby, who blinked in apparent confusion. She looked at Dove, her eyes trailing to his dropped shortsword.

_What… just hap-_

_**A flash of white.** _

_**Jump.** _

Ruby's eyes widened. She instantly leaped out of her kneel, backflipping over Russel as he charged past where she'd been. She landed on her feet just as he started to turn around. She rushed forward, slamming the butt of Crescent's rifle mode into the back of his head. He fell to his knees, and with another spin and transformation, Ruby sliced him across the back, earning a yell of pain and surprise. He crumpled to the ground, dropping his daggers as he tried to reach his injured back.

Ruby looked down at him for a moment, before realizing she still had one opponent left. She turned around quickly, scythe at the ready, only to find Lark staring at her from across the hall, his mouth hanging open as he looked at his downed teammates. When her eyes met his, he flinched in surprise, before scowling, crouching into a battle position, ready for her to charge.

But Ruby had a different idea.

With a flick of her wrist, Crescent Rose shifted back into a sniper rifle. Quick as she could, Ruby swapped out the magazine for a different one hanging from her belt, and took aim.

Lark dove out of the way as the shot whizzed past his head. But just as his foot was about to hit the ground-

_KEEEEEEWWwwww…_

The ground under him turned to ice.

Lark slipped as his full weight hit the floor. He fell to the ground, and before he could move…

_KEEEWWW, KEEEWWW, KEEEWWWwww…_

Three rapid-fire shots hit him in the side, ice covering him with each shot, until he was frozen to the ground. Only his head and left arm remained uncovered. Lark grit his teeth, both at the cold and the pain in his side, as he struggled to move. His arm flailed uselessly towards his halberd, which had fallen just out of reach. After a few moments, though, he realized that he wasn't budging, and slumped in his icy prison.

Ruby slowly pulled Crescent Rose away from her eye, mist curling from her frost-covered barrel. Ruby suddenly realized she was breathing hard, and tried to calm down, even as her heart hammered away.

She quickly became aware of the silence. She looked up at the gallery, eyes landing on her team. Blake stared at her in absolute shock, her amber eyes wide. Weiss mirrored her, her mouth slightly open in shock. Actually, everyone was looking at her like that.

Except for Yang. Yang was grinning like a fool, looking at her like she was about to start cheering any second.

Ruby slowly looked around the hall, as if taking it in for the first time. Dove lay against the wall, groaning. Russel was curled up on the ground, desperately grasping at the large gash across his back. Lark was still trapped in ice, starting to shiver from the cold.

It took a moment for the thought to really kick in.

_I… won…?_

The clicking of high-heels drew her attention from the carnage she'd wrought. She turned to find Professor Goodwitch approaching her, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well, this is a surprise," the teacher said once she reached Ruby. She looked down at her scroll, replaying the battle. "Impressive speed and agility. Seamless skill switching between weapon modes. Quick, if unconventional means of attack. You left yourself open to attack twice, but compensated with your reflexes." She looked up, giving Ruby a rare small smile. "Congratulations, Miss Rose. You've impressed me."

Ruby blushed under the unexpected praise. "Um… thank you, ma'am," she said with a nod.

Goodwitch nodded back, before motioning for Ruby to return to the gallery. Putting Crescent Rose into her compact mode, Ruby made her way up in a daze, being startled out of it when two strong hands clapped onto her shoulders.

Yang was positively beaming. "Rubes, that was  _amazing!_  I thought they had you for a second there, but you slipped out from under them like it was nothing!"

Ruby blinked at her. She felt her cheeks redden as she rubbed the back of her head, a bashful smile on her lips. "Thanks, Yang, but… I don't think it was all me."

Yang tilted her head in confusion, pulling away from Ruby. "What do ya mean, Sis? You were running solo out there."

Weiss and Blake had come up next to them interested and confused by Ruby's words. They barely heard Goodwitch call out the next match.

"Jaune Arc vs. Team CFVY."

"Oh, come on!"

As Jaune dejectedly made his way to the hall floor, Ruby tried to explain. "It's just… did you guys notice anything strange when I was fighting?"

The three thought for a moment, Yang scratching her head in thought, while Blake simply hummed. Weiss crossed her arms, cupping her chin with one hand. "Actually…" She started, drawing the others' attention. Weiss looked into Ruby's eyes. "When you were focusing on Lark, Dove was in your blind spot. I was sure he was going to hit you."

Blake nodded in agreement. "I thought the same thing."

Yang chuckled. "Yeah, close call on that one, Ruby. Scared me for a second."

Ruby looked between them, her eyes meeting each of theirs, then looked down in thought. "So… all three of you saw him coming at me… and were worried?" She frowned as she mulled the info over.

Blake's eyes narrowed a little, her head tilting slightly. "What is it, Ruby?"

Ruby looked up, looking at her team. She glanced around, making sure that no one was listening. All eyes were instead turned towards the fight down below. ("Aww, will you stop with the kicking?!")

Ruby lowered her voice as she spoke. "Something happened when I was fighting, when Dove tried to hit me."

"What?" Yang asked, frowning. "Seemed pretty clear to me. He tried to hit you, you ducked."

Ruby shook her head. "That's the thing, Yang. I didn't know Dove was there until  _after_ I ducked."

Each of them blinked. "What do you mean, Ruby?" Weiss asked. "How is that even possible?"

Blake inhaled sharply, drawing their attention. She looked at Ruby, wide-eyed. "Did… did you  _feel_  something Ruby?" she asked hesitantly. Yang and Weiss stiffened, understanding her unspoken question.  _Did the Mark do something?_

Ruby nodded. "When I was attacking Lark, there was this…  _flash._ " She struggled to put her thoughts into words. "Not… like I  _saw_  a flash, but like it had just happened… like a memory, only it happened at the same time I remembered it."

"That… makes no sense," Yang pointed out, quite unhelpfully.

Ruby slumped where she stood. "Yeah, I know, but that's the only way I can explain it! Like.. an instant memory, or something."

"What was it?" Blake asked, a bit more forcefully than she'd intended. She collected herself, then asked more calmly. "Did you see something in this flash?"

"Well-" Ruby was cut off when a loud clang echoed throughout the hall, followed by a yelp and a thud.

The four looked over to see Jaune sprawled on the ground, holding his nose. His shield lay right in front of him, while the members of Team CFVY looked at him in equal parts amusement (Fox and Yatsuhashi) and sympathy (Velvet).

Goodwitch raised an eyebrow, more bemused than scolding. "Your speed and endurance are improving, Mr. Arc. However, you are still lacking in terms of your reflexes and your agility. I will grant you credit in attempting to add more offensive moves to your repertoire, however," She leveled a hard stare at him. "I would suggest you find ways of doing so other than  _throwing_  your means of defense?"

Jaune sighed as he picked up his shield and pushed himself to his feet. "Yes, ma'am." He walked off grumbling. "Man, I thought I had it that time!"

Ruby watched him walk back to his spot as Professor Goodwitch called out the next fight ("Coco Adel vs. Team JNPR."), before turning back to the conversation at hand, her team doing so as well. "I saw… colors. Yellow, white, and black, all at the same time. And then I just… felt this urge to duck."

Weiss' brow scrunched in thought. "Yellow, white…" Her eyes widened in realization. "Those are the colors of our auras."

Yang's face went slack in shock. "Wait, so… Ruby read our minds? Is that even possible?"

Blake struggled for an answer, but Ruby spoke first. "I don't think it was your thoughts… there were no words or anything. I just… when that flash happened, I just knew I had to duck." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly, unable to be any clearer.

Blake thought for a moment, ignoring the whirling of a gatling gun and Nora's high-pitched laughter. She gave Ruby a long look. "Was that the only time you had this flash, Ruby?"

Ruby shook her head, much to the other's surprise. "I felt it again, after I knocked out Dove. Except, that time, the flash was just white."

Weiss stiffened. "When Russel tried to stab you in the back."

Blake looked at her. "I didn't see that. I was looking at Dove, and didn't see Ruby jump. She was mid-flip when I looked back at her."

Yang raised her hand up a little in agreement. "Same."

Weiss' calculating gaze trailed over them, before turning back to the leader. "Ruby," she asked slowly, "you could have dodged to the side, or ducked again. Why did you do a backflip?"

Ruby blinked at her, then looked down in thought. "I… don't really know. I just felt like I needed to. Why do you ask?"

Weiss' lips tightened. "Because when I realized you needed to dodge, I thought of you doing a backflip."

They all fell silent as they let Weiss' words sink in. From the hall floor, Goodwich called the match in JNPR's favor, getting a cheer from Nora.

"Okay…" Yang said quietly. "So we know Ruby needs to duck, and she ducks. Weiss knows she needs to jump, so she jumps."

Blake nodded. "We need to figure this out. My reading said that Mates 'compliment' each other in battle. Maybe that means that we can send each other ideas, or… instincts, maybe?"

Weiss shook her head in disbelief. "Just when I thought things were making sense."

A sudden giggle sounded, drawing the older girls' attention. They looked down at Ruby, who was biting her lip, fighting a smile.

"What's so funny, Sis?"

Ruby blushed a little. "Nothing, just… even though I was fighting by myself, you three still managed to watch out for me. Doesn't that kinda go against the point of Ms. Goodwitch's lesson?"

The three blinked. Then Yang let out a snort. "Yeah, it kinda does. Whoops!"

Blake fought a smile as Weiss rolled her eyes. Then the heiress huffed. "Speaking of which, we should really be paying attention."

Blake nodded. "You're right. We can work out what happened later. We still have a match to fight."

Yang groaned. "Great. This is going to bug me, though. I hope it's a quick fight."

"Cardin Winchester vs. Team RWBY."

The four girls' heads snapped up at Goodwitch's voice. They all turned their heads towards said bully. As if feeling their gazes, Cardin turned to face them, a smug sneer already in place...

Only to lose it immediately when he caught sight of the excited grin on Yang's lips, and the glare he was receiving from Blake.

"On the other hand…"


	20. Wednesday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/20/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

"Come on, Yang, stop going so slow!"

"I'm not going slow, Rubes! You keep speeding off!"

"Well… sorry!"

Ruby and Yang ran through the halls, each with a look of worry on their faces. Ruby's form blurred briefly, her Semblance blasting her forward a few feet, before she forced herself to stop, glancing impatiently back at Yang. Yang ignored the look, instead running as fast as she could, doing her best not to run into any of the other students milling about.

It had been a good day before this point. No pop-quizzes, no bad marks. The most exciting thing that had happened was during Dust Studies, when Ruby somehow managed to cause a fiery explosion using nothing but Ice Dust. All-in-all, a regular, if rather boring day.

As Team RWBY had retreated to their dorm as the sun started to lower in the sky, Ruby and Yang had volunteered to run downtown to the cafeteria and get dinner for them all. When they left, Weiss had been going over her class notes at her desk, while Blake had curled up on her bed with a new book, both already changed into their sleep clothes.

Thirty minutes later, Ruby and Yang had been walking back up to their dorm, arms loaded with takeout boxes, just chatting about whatever popped into their heads. They had just started talking about ways to get Weiss to open up a little more (Yang suggested taking her to a nightclub, making her dance with one of them), when they both felt a sharp jolt across the Link from the heiress.

_Surprise. Trepidation. Worry._

Ruby and Yang had looked at each other, silently asking each other the same question.  _What's wrong now?_

Then something burst across the Link, this time from Blake. The sisters flinched as they felt it.

_Confusion. Realization. Denial. Panic. Fear._

_So much fear._

Before either could really process what they'd felt, both of their scrolls sounded that they'd received a text message. A quick look revealed the same message sent to both of them:

**W- Get back here, NOW!**

Now Ruby and Yang were making a mad scramble to reach their dorm, Ruby having to use every ounce of restraint to not leave Yang behind in a cloud of rose petals. While Yang appreciated the thought, the fact that Blake's distressed emotions had increased in the last few minutes almost made her wish that Ruby would leave her behind, if only so that Ruby could get a head start on fixing whatever had happened.

The only comfort both sisters had was that there was no anger between their girlfriends. Blake was consumed with fear and sorrow, while Weiss was flooded with confusion and worry. Something was upsetting them both, but thankfully it didn't seem to be because of any bad blood.

Didn't make them worry any less, though.

When they finally burst into their dorm, Yang practically broke down the door by accident. Weiss had paused mid-pace to look at them, her arms crossed as she chewed on her thumbnail.

"What… happened…?" Yang gasped out, bent over as she panted from the run. From the corner of her eye she saw Ruby slide into the room behind her, not even winded. She fought down her petty frustration.  _Freaking speed-demon. Running never tires her out._

Weiss gave them a worried look, before her eyes shifted to a different door in the room. "Blake locked herself in the bathroom again."

Yang looked at her incredulously, as Ruby loudly voiced the thought in both of their heads. "Why?!"

Weiss hesitated, and the sisters didn't need the Link to know what she was feeling: guilt. She let out a long breath, and tried to explain. "After you left…"

* * *

**Twenty Minutes Earlier**

_The Warrior collapsed, her will as broken as her blades. The scent of smoke and ash overtook her as she clutched at her side, deep red spilling through her fingers. The clicking of talons drew closer, the beast's deep, rumbling growl sounding almost like laughter, mocking her._

_The Warrior lifted her head, her vision starting to blur. She watched helplessly as the beast reared back its head…_

…

Blake's gaze flicked away from the page.

Blue eyes instantly widened, turning back to the papers in front of them.

Blake let out a sigh. That was the third time today that she'd caught Weiss staring at her, though Blake had actually lost track of how many times she'd done so in the last few days. And it was always at the same times of day, mornings and night.

The only times she took off her bow.

"Weiss?"

Weiss' shoulders stiffened, before she slowly turned her head to face Blake. "Yes?" she questioned, feigning innocence.

Blake smirked a little. "I can feel your curiosity from here, Weiss. Something wrong?"

Weiss' cheeks pinked at having been called out. "N-no, nothing's wrong. I just…" Her eyes were drawn up to Blake's fluffy cat ears, before snapping back to Blake's eyes.

Blake frowned. She took a moment to check the Link between them.

_Curiosity. Trepidation. A small bit of Shame._

After a short moment, Blake smiled.  _I think I get it._  "Do you want to ask me something, Weiss?"

Weiss held her gaze, then let out a huff. "I'm sorry."

Blake tilted her head a bit. "About what?"

Weiss turned away from her, keeping her head down. "I… I was just wondering about a few things, about… Faunus… but… I don't want to offend you by accident."

Blake was silent. She had thought that was what was concerning Weiss. And considering her previous views and words on Faunus, Blake could understand why Weiss would be hesitant to ask anything.

A soft smile crossed her lips. She set her book aside and got off her bed. She quietly made her way to Weiss' side, putting a hand on the heiress' shoulder. Weiss jumped at the contact, looking up at Blake in surprise.

Blake smiled at her. "Weiss, would you ask me anything intending to offend me?"

Weiss started in surprise. "What? No! Of course not!" she denied indignantly.

Blake's grin widened. "Then I promise I'll be okay with your questions. You can ask me anything."

Weiss' eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly. She quickly snapped it shut, swallowing. "Anything?" she asked hesitantly.

Blake nodded. "Anything."

"... isn't it weird having four ears?"

…

Blake blinked. Twice. "Ex-excuse me?"

Weiss' face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet as she realized what she'd just blurted out. "I-I… well, you see, I mean that…" She stumbled over her words in a vain attempt to salvage her dignity. "It's just, you have the two cat ears, but you also have two human ears, and I don't really get how… that… Never mind!" Weiss gave up, her head snapping back towards her desk as her cheeks burned.

Blake just stared at her for a moment. Then she snorted. She tried to hold it in, but quickly broke down giggling, holding a hand over her mouth as she did so. When she caught sight of Weiss' pout, she tried to calm down. "Sorr… Sorry, I just… I've never been asked that before," she finally managed, her shoulders shaking in pent-up laughter. "Well, um… to answer your question… isn't it odd only having two?"

Weiss turned back to her, staring dumbly. "What?"

Blake reached up and gently grasped the tips of her cat ears. "I didn't just wake up with these one day, Weiss." For emphasis, she wiggled them side to side, then let the go, allowing them to stand back up like normal. "I've had them since I was born, so I don't really have any other frame of reference to go off of."

"Oh…" Weiss said softly. Her eyes turned downward. "I'm sorry, it was a stupid question."

Soft fingers cupped her chin, lifting her head. "Hey," Blake said gently once their eyes met. "I said I'd answer any question you had. And it wasn't stupid. Do you have any more?"

Weiss paused, staring into Blake's eyes. No judgment, no anger… an unconscious sweep of the Link showed the same results.

"...a few" she answered shyly.

Blake smiled. She bobbed her head to her and Yang's side of the room. "Want to sit together while you ask?"

After a moment's hesitation, Weiss slowly nodded. She went to the Faunus' bed, taking her place on Blake's left. She sat cross-legged, while Blake let her legs hang over the edge.

"Well, Weiss," Blake started. "Ask away."

Weiss, eyes were still wary. "And I can ask anything?"

Blake nodded with a smile. "Ask away."

Weiss took a moment to relax, assured that Blake was okay with her questions. "Are there any other differences you have with a human… physically, I mean?"

Blake hummed, thinking. "Well… you know about my ears and my night-vision. Aside from that… I can do this with my nails." She lifted her arm towards Weiss. She flexed the muscles in her hand, and her nails extended a full inch.

Weiss flinched in surprise, then focused on Blake's hand with awe. "They're retractable?"

Blake nodded. "Yep, though, I don't have much reason to do so anymore," she finished, a bit of sadness tingeing her words.

Confused, Weiss took a closer look at Blake's nails.  _They look normal… wait…_  Her eyes widened in realization. "They're dull."

Blake gave a hum of confirmation. "I've been filing them down since I started here." At Weiss' questioning gaze, she gave a small half-smile. "Dead giveaway. Not much point in wearing the bow if I walk around with cat's claws." She relaxed her hand, and her nails slid back into place. "Apart from that, my spine's more flexible than a human's, which makes me more flexible overall. Also, I don't know for sure, but I  _think_  my tongue has the same texture as a cat's."

"It does."

Blake blinked. She slowly turned towards Weiss, whose blush had renewed after the words tumbled out of her mouth. "...how do you know that?"

Weiss gulped awkwardly. "I just… do," she squeaked out, not meeting Blake's eyes.

After a moment, Blake sported her own blush, the realization of how Weiss knew that suddenly coming to mind. She cleared her throat to dispel the awkwardness. "Anything else?"

As Weiss' blush slowly faded, she pointed to Blake's ears. "The hair on your ears. Is it the same as the rest of your hair, or is it…?" She trailed off, unsure how to finish phrasing.

Blake, however, understood what she was trying to ask. "It's fur." She saw the way Weiss' eyes lingered on her ears, and let out a sigh. She bent her head forward, lowering it. "Go ahead."

Weiss startled by the sudden action. Her hand started to raise, before she pulled back. "You… are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

Blake smirked, chuckling slightly. "Yes, Weiss. I can tell you're curious." One of her ears flicked, almost tauntingly.

Weiss huffed a little at her joking attitude, but raised her hand nonetheless. Tentatively, she placed her hand on Blake's head, her fingers rubbing against her ears. "They're so soft…" she murmured in wonder, feeling the thin appendages twitch as she moved.

Blake let out a sigh, her eyes sliding closed. "That feels nice…"

Weiss' brow raised at Blake's quiet mutters. Remembering what Ruby had done that fateful night, she bent her fingers, her manicured nails running the length of Blake's ears. She felt Blake shudder under her ministrations, and within seconds, she felt, as well as heard, Blake's deep rumbling fill the room. She smiled as she saw Blake practically melt under her touch.

She kept this up for a couple minutes, before more thoughts from that night came to mind. "Blake?"

"Yes?" Weiss stifled a giggle as Blake spoke. Her purrs gave her voice a strange vibration when she talked, not helped by the slow, absent way she spoke.

Still, it seemed Blake was still listening, even while enjoying herself as she was. "When you were in heat, you said something about 'the way you wanted to act'? 'Little whims'? What did you mean by that?"

Blake stopped purring, one amber eye sliding open. "Just… certain things I've felt like doing that I know a normal human wouldn't do."

Weiss tilted her head to the side. "Such as?"

Blake opened both eyes, giving Weiss a long look. She reached up, removing Weiss' hand from her head. Then, slowly, she started to lay down.

Weiss stiffened as Blake put her head in her lap, raising her arms in surprise. Then Blake reached up, grasped Weiss' hand, and put it back on top of her head.

The heiress stared dumbly for a few seconds, before nervously resuming her scratching. In no time, Blake resumed her purring.

Blake's only response was to curl up at Weiss' side, pressing her forehead against Weiss' stomach.

A giggle escaped Weiss' lips at the sheer absurdity of her situation. She was, for all intents and purposes,  _petting_  Blake, her girlfriend, that she shared with two other girls she had similar feelings for, while said girl purred in her lap.

It was so bizarre that it almost wrapped around to seeming normal.

Almost.

Weiss felt a slight pressure in the back of her mind, almost a tickling sensation. Recognizing the feeling, Weiss closed her eyes, letting Blake's emotions wash over her.

_Happiness. Calm. Contentedness._

A warm smile spread across Weiss' lips. She opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the contented look on Blake's face.

Blake shifted a bit, rolling a little more on her back. Her sleep robe fell a little with the motion, hanging off her shoulder.

Weiss blushed as more of Blake's peach-colored skin was revealed. Then… she noticed something…

Weiss blinked.  _Is that…?_  She craned her neck, careful not to jostle the purring Faunus in her lap. Blue eyes opened widened.  _It is! But… how…? Was that there before?_

Weiss opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She wanted to ask, but she had a feeling that the answer would be… personal. And… she was a little afraid of the answer. Still, Blake  _did_  say anything…

She steeled herself, preparing for whatever might come. "Blake?"

"Hmm?" Blake hummed, completely lost as Weiss kept up her scratching.

"Where did you get that scar?"

"What scar?" she asked airily.

"The one on your shoulder." Weiss hesitated, then whispered. "It kind of looks like… teeth marks."

Blake's eyes snapped open, her face paling. Her head snapped to Weiss' face, her eyes wide.

In a flash, Blake was on her feet, backing away from Weiss. Her hand clamped over her left shoulder. She gasped as she ran her fingers over a certain spot.

"No," she gasped out, barely more than a whisper.

Weiss slowly made her way to her feet, standing at the bed's edge. She kept her arms down and in front of her, her palms open. "Blake?" she asked worriedly.

Blake took a step back, shaking her head. "No… no, no…" she kept muttering. To Weiss' worry, her eyes started to glisten. "It… it healed, it…" She took a shuddering breath as she ran her hand over her shoulder again. "It was gone…"

Weiss took a small step forward, kicking herself for whatever she'd just set off. "Blake, it's okay. I'm sorry, I…" She stopped when she saw Blake's eyes glance toward the left. Weiss followed her gaze…

The hallway door.

Weiss' eyes widened, dread forming in her stomach. "Blake… don't." Amber eyes flicked back to Weiss, then back to the door. Weiss swallowed. "Blake… Blake, look at me." Blake took another step back, but her gaze met Weiss'. "Blake… I'm sorry…" Blake looked back at the door, and Weiss felt a twinge in her chest. "Please don't run," she pleaded, just above a whisper.

Blake flinched, her wide eyes fixed on Weiss.

A heartbeat.

Two.

Blake blurred out of existence, and the door slammed.

The bathroom door.

Weiss stared dumbly at the place Blake used to be. Then she practically dived at her scroll, typing frantically.

* * *

"She's been in there since I texted you."

Ruby and Yang stared at her, the takeout boxes left forgotten on Weiss' desk. Worry was etched on their faces, both glancing at the door.

"So… Blake has a Mark?" Ruby questioned.

"I think so, but… it looked different from ours." Weiss pulled the collar of her nightgown aside, revealing her Mark. The ring of teeth marks showed out against her pale skin, a blurry spot of black in the center. Looking at it, Weiss explained. "The teeth marks seemed… bigger than ours… and there was no aura in the center of it."

Yang crossed her arms thinking. "So… maybe it's an old Mark? From an old relationship?"

Ruby turned to her, taken aback. "Like… Blake mated someone before us?" There was a small waver in her voice, sounding a little hurt.

Yang shrugged at her. "Makes sense. I had a few girlfriends before I met her and Weiss. She had a life before she met us. Maybe she had someone special in her life when she was in the White Fang?"

Weiss frowned at the thought, like she did whenever the Fang were mentioned. "But then, why would she react the way she did?"

Yang shrugged again. "Bad breakup? Although... " She looked at the ceiling in thought. "I don't remember seeing it before. Do you?"

Weiss voiced a negative, while Ruby shook her head.

Yang hummed. "Weird…"

They quickly fell silent as the three thought over the situation.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked finally.

"Easy," Yang said, drawing their attention. "We talk to her."

Weiss started at her bluntness. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I know she's upset, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk."

Yang frowned at her. "You might be right, but… I can't be the only one feeling this right now."

Weiss and Ruby shared a look, before looking down. Yes, they knew exactly what Yang was feeling. The entire time they'd been talking, Blake's emotions had been drifting at the back of their minds, never-ending.

_Confusion. Despair. Fear. Shame. Pain._

Each of them felt a deep pressure in their chests, like something was squeezing their hearts.

Ruby lifted her head at the same time Weiss did. Their eyes met, and they held each other's gaze. Then they turned to Yang and nodded.

Yang nodded back, then turned to the bathroom door. They all moved as one, until Yang stood in front of it, Ruby and Weiss at her sides. Yang took a quick, deep breath. She knocked.

"Blake? Can you please come out?"

There was no answer, verbally, at least. A short, quick spike of surprise let them know that Blake had heard her. Yang tried again.

"C'mon, Blake, please talk to us."

Nothing.

Yang looked at Weiss, who could only return her worried expression. Yang sighed, and took a risk. "Blake, we know you have a Mark."

No missing her reaction this time. Shock, denial, and then overwhelming fear.

Yang grimaced. "Blake, it's okay. We're not mad, just… surprised. Please, talk to us."

All three of them flinched as they felt something different from their girlfriend.  _Denial._

"Blake, it's true!" Ruby piped up, pressing her palm against the door. "We're just curious, that's all!"

"Blake, I'm so sorry. Please, just explain it to us." Weiss was practically begging.

They received no answer, save a rather forceful feeling of denial.

Frustrated, Yang banged her head against the door. She felt the familiar tingle in her eyes, not angry at anyone in particular, just the situation they found themselves in. She closed her eyes, and took a calming breath. Once the tingling feeling went away, she spoke softly through the door. "C'mon, kitty-cat. We're an open book. You tell us: are we mad at you?"

Silence. Yang let out a sigh. Looking helplessly at Ruby and Weiss, who could only stare back in worry.

_Click!_

Yang jerked back at the sound of the door lock. Slowly, the door swung open.

Yang felt her heart wrench.

Blake stood in the doorway, her ears folded back in submission as she stared at the ground. She kept a hand clamped over her left shoulder, while the other gripped the doorknob. Her entire body was slumped in defeat. She slowly lifted her head, her pained yellow eyes meeting Yang's. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Oh, Blakey," Yang breathed, and quickly pulled the girl into a hug. Blake didn't move, save for tucking her head into Yang's neck and squeezing her eyes shut.

It took only a split-second before Ruby rested her hand on the small of Blake's back, pressing close to her. Weiss reached out and gripped Blake's free hand, adding her support.

They stood there for a minute as Yang let Blake cry into her chest, feeling the smaller girl's shoulders shake. From the corner of her eye, she caught Weiss' stare. The heiress bobbed her head towards the closest bunk, her own, and Yang nodded in understanding. Carefully, Yang lead Blake to the bed, easing them down to sit. Ruby took her place at the end of the bed, sitting cross-legged, while Weiss sat down on Blake's other side, still holding her hand. They sat in silence, waiting for Blake to say something.

"I'm sorry…"

Her voice was so soft they almost didn't hear it. Ruby scooted closer, coming side-by-side with Weiss. "About what?"

Blake kept her eyes closed, her face still pressed against Yang's chest. She took a shuddering breath. "I… should have told you. I was just… I tried so hard to forget."

Yang rubbed soothing circles on her back. "So… I'm gonna guess a bad break-up?"

That got a watery laugh out of Blake. She sniffed. "That's an understatement," she muttered into Yang's shirt.

Weiss rubbed her thumb along Blake's hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Blake stiffened. She pulled away from Yang's embrace. She lifted her head, her eyes meeting Yang's, before turning to do the same with Weiss and Ruby. She swallowed thickly, looking down. "I... I don't think I can," she mumbled guiltily.

Yang draped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Hey, it's okay. Take your time."

Weiss nodded. "If you're not comfortable talking about it right now, we can wait until you're ready." Ruby smiled at her side, agreeing.

Blake took a few shaky breaths. Her fingers rubbed against the teeth marks on her shoulder, the foreign feeling of scarred skin twisting her gut. Her eyes slid closed.

Then she felt it. From all sides, calm, patience, concern. She could feel her would-be Mates surrounding her, offering their support for the sheer virtue that they wanted to help her. Warmth filled her chest.

Letting out a long, shaky breath, Blake leaned her head against Yang's shoulder. Keeping her eyes closed, she steeled herself.  _I can tell them… a little. They deserve that much._

"There was someone… in the White Fang." Her voice was low and quiet, forcing the three girls around her to lean in slightly. "We grew up together. When we grew older, I thought… I thought I loved him."

Three pairs of eyes widened as Blake revealed a small portion of her well-guarded past. Blake swallowed before continuing, her tone soft. "He was my best friend… someone I could always talk to. But... " She took a shuddering breath. "He changed. I didn't realize it until…" A sob burst past her lips as she clenched at her shoulder. Her eyes quickly welled up again.

"Hey, hey... " Yang shushed. "It's okay. You don't have to keep going if you don't want to."

Blake forced her watery eyes open. She looked towards Yang, searching her eyes, and found nothing but concern. Turning to the right, she was met with the same from Weiss and Ruby.

"Can you tell me one thing, Blake?"

She turned back to Yang, looking up at her. "What?"

Yang couldn't help but fidget her shoulders, her worry and agitation starting to get to her. "Did… did he hurt you?"

Blake held her gaze, before lowering her eyes. "Not physically," she muttered faintly.

Yang let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She held Blake tight. "I'm sorry," she murmured. What else could she say?

Blake took a few minutes, breathing in the scent of Yang's shirt as she tried to calm herself. She was aware of Ruby's arms around her waist, the younger girl having slipped in without her noticing. She felt Weiss give her hand a squeeze. A half-smile graced her lips for a moment, before her face fell again. "I just don't understand."

"Understand what?" Ruby questioned from behind her.

"How it came back." This earned surprised looks from all around, so Blake tried to explain. "It… it happened over a year ago. His aura burnt out after a week and the bite healed. The scar faded to the point you only saw it if you were looking for it. I don't understand how it just… reappeared like this."

Her hand slipped off her shoulder, giving Ruby and Yang their first look at the former Mark. Like Weiss had said, it was a ring of teeth marks, much larger than the ones on their own shoulders, at least an inch wider. The teeth marks themselves seemed larger as well.

After a few seconds, Ruby's eyes lit up. "Maybe it's because we're all Mates now?"

Weiss and Blake looked at her in surprise, while Yang just raised an eyebrow at her. "How do you figure, Sis?"

"Well…" Ruby started. "Blake said that, if we were all Faunus, she would have gotten a Mark from us, right?" They nodded at her. "Well, even though we didn't give her a Mark, maybe her body thinks we did."

Yang scrunched her brow in confusion, not quite following. Blake tilted her head in thought, while Weiss hummed.

"Maybe…" the heiress wondered. She turned to Blake. "You said that the Mark was still there, just that it had healed and faded, right?"

Blake nodded. "Yes."

Weiss put her free hand to her chin, thinking. "Well then… what if, when you gave us our Marks and started the Mating process, your body reacted? Like Ruby said, it knew you were supposed to have a Mark, so it worked with what if had, and revitalized the old Mark?"

Blake's eyes widened. She looked to Yang, asking for her input.

Yang just shook her head. "Don't look at me. This is way over my head."

Blake frowned. "It…  _sounds_  like it makes sense," she conceded.

Yang hummed. "Is it hurting?" she asked, concerned.

Blake shook her head. "No. It just… brings back bad memories."

Yang looked thoughtful, before she smiled brightly. "Well then, let's balance it out with some good ones! And I say we start with dinner. I'm starving!"

There was a collective eye roll at Yang's blatant attempt to change the subject. Blake managed a small smile. "Thanks, but I'm not really that hungry, Yang."

"You sure?" Yang asked with a sly grin. "I got tuna-noodle casserole~"

"...well, maybe just a little."

Just like that, things went back to normal. Ruby gave Blake a quick squeeze around her waist, before scrambling off the bed to get the forgotten takeout boxes. Yang briefly scratched Blake behind the ear, earning a half-annoyed, half-endeared glare, before following her sister. Blake adjusted her sleep robe, carefully pulling it up over her shoulder, and stood up.

Weiss was right behind them as they made their way to the kitchen table, but she hesitated when she saw Blake wipe her eyes.

She let out a sigh as she thought about what she'd heard. It really troubled her how little she knew about Blake, both in her personal history and in how her species functioned. She wanted to help Blake, somehow…

She saw something from the corner of her eye. She looked, her gaze falling on the stack of books sitting beside Blake's desk. She walked over to them, recognizing the one top:  _Strange Fates of Faunus Mates._

Weiss stared at the book, an idea forming.

"Weiss, are you coming? We got some of that duck orange stuff you like."

Weiss rolled her eyes, looking towards the door. "It's pronounced 'a l'orange', Ruby."

"Whatever!"

Weiss shook her head in exasperation, a begrudging smile playing at her lips. She looked back at the book, considering. She made her choice.

She picked up the book, then tossed it on her bunk. She had some reading to do after dinner.


	21. Thursday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/21/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

Weiss scanned the pages for the dozenth time, swallowing.

 _This is it,_  she thought, not believing her luck.  _This is what I was looking for._

She slowly closed the book, letting out a slow breath, willing herself to calm. She glanced around the dorm, finding herself alone.

_Ruby's in JNPR's dorm, swapping weapon ideas with Nora. Yang said she was going to work out in the school gym. Blake's reading in the library._

It was the first time they had all been separated from each other in almost a week. Weiss hadn't even realized it until she tried to think of a time when she could talk to both Ruby and Yang without Blake present. It was by sheer luck that they all had individual plans after classes. Just to be sure, she closed her eyes and reached out with her aura. No negativity, no worry-inducing spikes in emotion. Just calm, contentedness, satisfaction, and humor all around.

_If there was ever a time, this is it._

Weiss pulled out her scroll, and typed out a simple message.

_**W- Can I talk to you, now if possible?** _

She selected Ruby and Yang's names from her contacts, careful to avoid hitting Blake's name as well. She hit send, then stood up from her desk, and started pacing. She felt a twinge of annoyance as she did so. Weiss had always been able to stay still and poised in the past, no matter how anxious or agitated she got. Ever since she had met Ruby and Yang, however, it seemed like her daily life was permanently set on fast-forward. Always loud, always chipper, always so full of energy. Without realizing it, Weiss had gone from hating it, to tolerating it, to actually looking forward to the noise and excitement that greeted her every morning. To the point that now, the quiet and calm she once pined for seemed almost wrong. Without Ruby's energy or Yang's boisterousness, Weiss felt the need to fill the void herself. Hence, the pacing.

The sound of the door opening drew her attention. Ruby poked her head in, a not-quite-frown on her lips. "Hey, Weiss. Something wrong?"

Weiss felt the corner of her mouth curl up a bit. After yesterday, Ruby had been checking on each of them as often as she could, making sure there was nothing else wrong. It was kind of cute. "Nothing's wrong, Ruby. I just wanted to talk with you about something."

Ruby perked up a bit. "Oh! Okay!" Ruby stepped inside the room and shut the door behind her. "What's up?"

Weiss sat down at the edge of her bed. She still had the book in her hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like to wait for…" Her scroll dinged, interrupting her. She opened it and read.

_**Y- On my way up. C U in 5.** _

Weiss sighed. "Yang... Why must she butcher our language every time she sends a text?" She didn't even try to hide her exasperation.

Ruby giggled. "She's not the only one who does that, Weiss. You should see Nora. All she uses is those little emotion faces."

Weiss rolled her eyes at the thought. "Anyway. Yang will be up in five minutes. I'd like to wait for her, so I don't have to repeat myself."

"Okay," Ruby said. She looked up at her bunk for a moment, like she was thinking about hopping up there, but instead opted for falling back on Weiss' bed.

Weiss gave her a brief glance as she spread her arms out relaxed, before ignoring her, chalking it up as Ruby being Ruby. She cracked open the book again, skimming through it until she found the right page. She started reading, just to triple check that she wasn't mistaken on anything.

Ruby folded her hands behind her head, staring up at the bed above her. Aaaand… she was bored. She sighed. She'd been having so much fun with Nora just now, the hammer-wielder explaining her ideas for adding electricity to her fighting style, and Ruby firing back with her own plans for slimming down Crescent Rose's design. It was enough to get her blood pumping just on the thoughts alone, but when she'd gotten Weiss' text, she'd pretty much dropped everything, (though Nora didn't seem to be bothered, saying she was going to go find Ren to do something) and ran right over, expecting the worse.

Not that she was upset that nothing was wrong, but it had brought her earlier excitement to a screeching halt.

Her gaze shifted to Weiss, who was calmly flipping through pages in the book she was holding. A smile graced her lips at the sight, Weiss calm and thoughtful against the orange sky visible out the window.

 _She looks so pretty,_  Ruby thought to herself, admiring the perfect picture Weiss made.

A thought popped into her head. Her cheeks tinted a little, but after a moment, she couldn't think of a reason not to act on it.

Slowly and quietly, Ruby pushed herself up, sidling up to her oblivious partner. "Weiss?"

"Hmm?" Weiss hummed turning away from her reading. "What is it Rub-mmm?!"

Weiss was cut off when Ruby, quite suddenly, leaned forward, pressing her lips to her partner's. Weiss froze in shock for a moment, her vision consumed with the closed-eyed face of Ruby, before her own eyes slowly slid shut, the book tumbling out of her hands.

Ruby worked her jaw against Weiss', her mouth opening just enough for the tip of her tongue to slip through. She was pleasantly surprised when she felt Weiss' hand cup the side of her face, and Weiss' tongue touched her own.

The kiss stretched on, neither of them noticing time passing until Ruby felt her lungs beg for air. She pulled away slowly, taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes, only to find Weiss staring back through half-opened eyes, her face flushed. "What was that for?" she asked softly, a small smile on her lips.

Ruby blushed deeply, an embarrassed smile forming. "Just kind of felt like it," she admitted, just as quietly.

They stared at each other, mirrored blushes on their faces, smiling awkwardly as their emotions bounced between them, making them blush deeper.

"So, do you two want some time alone?"

Ruby and Weiss jumped apart, their heads snapping towards the hall door.

Yang smirked at them, leaning against the closed door with her arms crossed. She was still in her workout gear, her plain grey shirt and gym shorts sticking to her skin. A gym bag hung off her shoulder.

Weiss felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "Yang… how long were you standing there?"

Yang's smirk grew. "About a minute. Impressive lung capacity, by the way."

"Yang!" Ruby yelped, her red face matching Weiss'.

Yang chuckled, unfolding her arms as she pushed herself off the door. "Hey, I was asked to be here. Not my fault you two decided to have some private time while you waited. I don't mind." She made her way across the room dropping her bag with a thud. She leaned over Weiss. "Just so long as you don't mind me getting my turn."

"What do you me-mmm!" For the second time, Weiss was silenced by a pair of lips as Yang captured her in a quick, rough kiss that robbed her of her breath. Weiss unconsciously pressed back against her, holding the kiss for a few seconds until Yang pulled back her head.

Ruby covered her mouth as Yang pulled away, finding the stunned look on Weiss' reddening face utterly hilarious. Yang straightened back up, smirk still fully in place.

Weiss looked up at her dumbly. Her eyes then flicking to Ruby, still holding in giggles. Then she crossed her arms, refusing to look at either of them. "I hate both of you."

Yang snorted, turned away and moved towards her dresser. "Yeah, your emotions say different, Snowflake. I'm flattered, by the way. Never thought I'd make someone feel so… excited."

Weiss' head snapped back to the blonde rifling through her dresser, the heiress' cheeks burning. "I assure you that I do not feel…" She trailed off as Yang, her back still to the heiress, unceremoniously pulled off her sweat-soaked shirt, leaving her in just her shorts and yellow bra.

"You were saying, Snowflake?" Yang said, the smirk obvious in her voice as she balled up the shirt and threw it towards the closet, well aware of the blue eyes locked onto her defined back.

"Yang…" Ruby admonished, trying to will the amused grin off her face. "Stop teasing Weiss."

Yang sighed dramatically. "Okay…" she droned out in mock disappointment, pulling a black t-shirt out of the opened drawer. She quickly slipped it over her head. "Since you asked so nicely." She then pulled out a pair of blue jeans from a lower drawer, showing them to the pair. "Can I at least put these on first?"

Weiss pointedly looked away from her, ignoring the snickers from both sisters. "You're both children…" she muttered, fighting down the urge to turn her head when she heard fabric hit the floor.

"Weiss, you are the only person I've met who is so fun to be around by being no fun." Yang laughed.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good, 'cause I meant it as one," Yang said, a genuine smile in her voice. "I'm decent now, by the way."

Weiss cautiously moved her head to the side, looking at Yang out of the corner of her eye. She was grateful to find the blonde fully clothed. Though there was that one embarrassingly rebellious part of her that felt a bit disappointed…

"Oh, in that case…" Yang suddenly said, gripping the hem of her shirt.

"No!" Weiss shouted, mortified. She threw up her hands, waving them back and forth. "No, no, you don't need to…" She stopped when Yang bent over, her shoulders shaking in withheld laughter.

A few snorts escaped the blonde as she managed to lift her head up. " _Heh… heh…_  Dust, Weiss…  _heh, heh…_  you make it too easy."

"Yang... " Ruby warned, her lips twitching as she valiantly fought a smile.

Yang waved her off, shaking off the last bits of mirth. "Okay, okay…" She sat down next to Weiss, her wet eyes meeting the heiress' blue. "Sorry, Weiss. Just having a little fun." She playfully nudged Weiss with her elbow, smiling.

Weiss took a deep breath, willing the heat from her cheeks. Despite the scathing glare she gave Yang and the mortification she was feeling, she couldn't stop the warmth forming in her chest.  _Very loud and lots of energy. All is right in my very odd world._

Still grinning, Yang asked. "So, what's the problem, Weiss?" Her face suddenly went slack, her voice dropping an octave as her eyes widened a little. "Wait, there's not an actual problem, is there?"

Weiss sighed. "No, Yang, there's no problem. I just wanted to talk to you both about something."

"Oh. Okay." Yang relaxed a little, the sudden tenseness in her shoulders abating. Then she frowned. "Wait… 'us both'? Without Blake?"

Weiss nodded. "Yes. Actually, it's Blake I wanted to talk about."

Ruby's brow scrunched in worry. "What about her?"

"Well, last night she told us about…" She paused, trying to think of the right word.

"Her old Mate?" Yang supplied, frown deepening.

Weiss nodded in thanks. "Yes, and about… her old Mark." She bent down, picking the book up from where she'd dropped it. "I kept wishing I knew more about how all of this 'Mates' and 'Mate's Mark' business worked, so I started reading this book."

She stopped when Yang snorted. "Yeah, we noticed. Weiss, you haven't put that thing down since you woke up this morning. I'm pretty sure I saw you reading it during Oobleck's lesson today."

Weiss flushed a little, embarrassed. "Well… it's a good read!" she defended lamely. She looked down at the book's cover, a simple pale blue color with various symbols (which she now knew were actually the Mate's Marks of some of the Faunus mentioned in the book) circling around a stylized heart. Her expression turned thoughtful. "There's a lot in here that I never knew about Faunus."

Ruby looked at the closed book, interested. "Like what?"

Weiss glanced at her, before opening the book, skimming through it. "For one thing, you remember what Blake said about Faunus 'Affinities'?"

Yang thought for a second, then nodded, remembering. "Yeah. They're like a second Semblance, right? Except that Mates share it."

Weiss hummed in confirmation. "Yes, but I never realized the extent of them! Some of these are…  _incredible_." She sounded genuinely impressed.

Ruby started to get excited, bouncing in her seat. "Like what? Super strength? Fire breath? Ooh, the ability to fly? I've always wanted to fly."

Weiss absently put a hand on Ruby's head, causing the bouncing girl to still. Once Ruby gave her a sheepish grin, she continued. "Well, most of them are rather tame. One couple were able to see through each other's eyes, another could secrete various types of poisons from their claws…"

Yang raised an eyebrow, nodding. "Cool, but nothing really to write home about."

The corner of Weiss' mouth twitched. "Yes, well, then there are the exceptions. For instance, a rabbit and a ram Faunus gained the ability to teleport to wherever their Mate was, no matter the distance between them."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Cool."

"It gets better. A trio of wolf Faunus were able to turn their howls into a sonic attack, capable of shaking buildings apart. A boar and lion couple could harden their skin, making themselves nearly invulnerable. And then…"

The sisters, who were starting to get excited learning about different Affinities Faunus had gotten by being Mates, turned to Weiss as she trailed off. Blue eyes stared down at the pages, her face softening.

"...there's this one." Her voice had grown unusually soft. "A couple who gained the power to control earth to a degree."

Yang looked between Weiss and the book, confused and concerned. "Okay, that's neat and all, but what's the big deal about those two?"

Weiss trailed her fingers across the page. "Look at them."

Ruby and Yang shared a glance, then turned to the book in Weiss' lap. Her finger rested below an illustration of the couple in question, standing in battle positions as chunks of rock and earth hovering around them. One was a blonde horse Faunus, large equestrian ears hanging down from atop her head, and the other…

It took a minute for them to realize what they were looking at. Ruby's eyes widened at the same time Yang whispered.

"He's human."

Weiss nodded, her expression conflicted. "He is. These two were from Mistral, and according to the book, the first recorded interspecies Mates to develop an ability outside of their regular Semblances… a Faunus Affinity."

The room fell silent as the information sank in.

Yang was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "Humans can get an Affinity.  _We_  could get an Affinity."

Weiss' lips pressed into a fine line. "The book says that Mates developing an Affinity is rare, a one-in-twenty chance, but… it's possible."

"Cool…" Ruby drone, stars in her eyes. Then she frowned. "Wait a sec. What does that have to do with Blake's old Mark?"

Her question seemed to bring Weiss back to the task at hand. With a small shake of her head, she started flipping through pages again. "Right, sorry. My original point was, I read about a lot of strange things Faunus Mates have gone through in this book, and I was hoping I could find one that might help us help Blake. And… I think I found it."

She stopped turning pages, landing on the start of a new chapter. Yang read the title, brow cocked. " _All Bark and Unable to Bite_?" she said skeptically.

Weiss shared her bemusement, giving an exasperated sigh. "All the chapters have titles like that. The author of the book has an odd sense of humor. Still, I think this story is what I was looking for."

"Wait, just hold up a sec, Weiss." Yang shook her head, frowning a little. "What exactly were you looking for?"

Weiss swallowed, meeting first Ruby's eyes, then Yang's. She took a breath. "A way for us to give Blake a Mate's Mark."

Lavender and grey eyes widened. Yang and Ruby looked at each other in shock, then back at Weiss. "But… Blake said humans can't make a Mate's Mark," Ruby murmured, stunned.

Weiss nodded. "We can't, not in the same way a Faunus can. But in this story…" She trailed off, looking down at the book. She soon felt the expectant stares the sisters were giving her. She licked her lips nervously, looking down at the book. "I'll summarize it for you…"

* * *

_During the height of the Great War, there was a young Faunus couple from a small village in Mistral. The female was a cow Faunus, and the male was a wolf. When soldiers came to the village asking for new recruits, the wolf Faunus volunteered, in the hopes that he could help bring the war to an end, and make his home a safe place to live._

_Before he could leave, however, the female asked him to take her as his Mate, a decision they had both been considering long beforehand. The male, aware of the dangers he would soon face on the battlefield, refused, unwilling to put her through the pain of feeling him leave her should the worst happen. But he made her a promise: on the day he returned home, once the fighting had ended and the land was safe, he would not hesitate to become her Mate, and link their souls together._

_For years the war raged. The wolf Faunus fought valiantly beside his brethren, felling warriors from far and wide. Every night, he remembered his beloved, waiting for him to return. He fought across deserts and rallied against his enemies. He was injured time and time again, his body becoming littered with scars, but never once did he fall, the memory of his waiting love pushing him on._

_Then, one day, a miracle happened. The Four Kingdoms laid down their weapons, and spoke to one another. A treaty was forged, and the War ended. At long last, the wolf Faunus could return home._

_Alongside his fellow warriors, the wolf Faunus began his trek home. Along the way, they drank and rejoiced, singing songs of victory as they made their way down the darkened roads. A day's walk from his village, they made camp for the night, drinking and singing without a care in the world._

_But while the world's soldiers had ended their aggression, the creatures of the darkness had not. While the soldiers slept, a pack of Beowolves descended on their camp. Startled and impaired, the soldiers did their best to fight them off. They managed to do so, but the noise of the fight had attracted an even greater threat: an Alpha Ursa. While the soldiers focused on the lesser beasts, the Ursa raised to its hind legs, and brought its claws down on the nearest soldier: the wolf Faunus._

_Angered at seeing their comrade fall, the warriors fought their best, eventually managing to bring it down. When they found their comrade unconscious but alive, their relief turned to panic at the sight of his injuries. With no time to spare, they picked him up, and ran to the village, making the day-long journey in just a few hours. They reached it just as the sun began to rise, awakening the local doctor with their pleas for help._

_The wolf Faunus' wounds were extensive. His back was bloodied by claws, his arm and ribs shattered by the Ursa's weight. But most disparaging was his jaw, broken by the beast's attack._

_The doctor did what he could. He set the broken bones and cleaned his wounds. He wired the wolf's jaw shut._

_When the wolf Faunus awoke, his first sight was the cow Faunus. She had been alerted of his condition as soon as he'd arrived, and refused to leave his side until he awoke. Upon seeing her face, he tried to speak her name, only to find his mouth unable to move. Once he realized what happened, he fell into despair, as he was unable to keep the promise he made so long ago._

_In desperation, he hatched a plan. Through clenched teeth, he told his love his idea. Though hesitant, she agreed. They approached one of the wolf's brother warriors, a rabbit Faunus he had fought beside since entering the War. they asked him to do something never before attempted: to start making a Mate's Mark that his friend would finish._

_Shocked, the warrior asked them to repeat themselves. He asked the cow if she agreed with her lover's idea. When she said yes, he agreed. The wolf Faunus had saved his life many times throughout the War, so the least he could do was help his friend with his mad plan._

_The rabbit Faunus carefully put his mouth over the woman's neck, and bit down. She let out a yelp as he pushed his aura into her, a burning feeling forming as her body rejected it. The rabbit quickly pulled away, and the wolf took his place. The wolf put his hand over the quickly dying Mark, and pushed his aura into it as if it was his own. As he did, his love leaned forward and bit him, doing the same._

_Seconds passed as they held each other, each hoping for the impossible. Then, they felt it: a warmth spread from their bites and overtook their bodies, the bites glowing faintly. They pulled apart, keeping their hands linked, as they stared at the bites on each other's necks. Before their very eyes, the bites healed, fading into nothingness. The aura left behind shifted and twisted on their skin, before forming solid lines of blue and gold: two swords, crossed, a crescent moon sitting between the blades._

_The two Mates smiled, tears in their eyes. They embraced, then turned to their friend, thanking him for his help. From then on, they called him brother._

* * *

As Weiss fell silent, she stared at the illustration at the end of the story, a depiction of the Mate's Mark in question. Very slowly, she closed the book.

Ruby and Yang sat there, stunned. Ruby's mind was racing, taking in the story she'd just been told. She suddenly had a thought.

"You want us to do that with Blake."

Ruby jumped. It hadn't been her, but Yang who had spoken. The blonde was looking at Weiss thoughtfully, her eyes questioning.

Weiss swallowed, then gave a nod. "Yes. I thought about it, and I think Ruby was right. I think Blake's old Mark came back because she gave us all Mate's Marks. Her Mark is there, but it's empty. I think we could do what the Faunus in the story did, add our aura to her old Mark, and make it our own… if Blake wants us to, of course."

Yang tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling. "Weiss that's…" She suddenly laughed. "That's awesome!" She jumped off the bed and spun around, facing them both with a look that could only be described as ecstatic. "We could give Blake a Mark just like ours, let her feel exactly what we do! Weiss, I could kiss you! In fact…" Yang jumped forward, slamming her lips against Weiss'.

Weiss reciprocated for a moment, before pushing the excited blonde back. "Yang, calm down, please!" Even with her stern tone and red face, Weiss couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across her lips. "I don't even know if it would work for sure. From what I can tell, a human has never been able to give a Faunus a Mate's Mark."

"But no human's ever tried to do what you want to try, right?" Yang refused to be brought down, her usual grin back in full force.

Weiss let out a small sigh, still smiling. "As far as I can tell, no. I don't know if it'll work… but I think it's worth a try."

"So…"

Weiss turned at the voice. Ruby looked back at them, glancing between them with a hesitant but hopeful look on her face. "You two really want to do it? You want to stay as Blake's Mates?"

In an instant, all traces of excitement in the room was gone. Weiss' blue eyes widened at Ruby, before she looked away, biting her lip. Yang stiffened, then let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Right…' the blonde said slowly, her eyes not leaving the ground. "Tomorrow's when…"

"I… I forgot…" Weiss muttered weakly. "I was so focused on helping Blake, it… slipped my mind."

Ruby frowned, her shoulders slumping. The uncertainty and worry coming off them was so strong, she almost thought she was feeling them herself. "So… you don't want to be Mates with her?"

"No!" Yang shouted, suddenly panicked. "I mean, yes, I do, but…" She trailed off helplessly.

Weiss nodded, feeling the same. "I… I think I do, Ruby. But there's so much involved. If my father finds out…"

Yang slapped her forehead, groaning. "Crap. I didn't even think of that. Dating's one thing, but this… dad'll throw a fit."

"But… don't you guys like feeling each other's emotions?" Ruby asked, a little desperately.

Yang saw the distress on Ruby's face, and felt the emotions rolling off of her. A soft smile formed on her lips as she kneeled beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I do, Ruby. This… knowing how each of you feel, not having to guess whether any of you are okay or not… it's incredible."

"I… I have to agree," Weiss said slowly, drawing their attention. With some effort, she managed to meet their eyes. "I wasn't sure about… opening myself to you all like this. But… I like i-it." Her voice caught on the last word. Thoughts of every possible way being Mated could go wrong rushed to the forefront of her mind, her father chief among them. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to lose it."

"Hey... " Yang reached out with her other hand, gripping Weiss' shoulder as she did Ruby's. "Don't start with that…"

"I-I'm sorry…" Weiss shuddered, trying to keep down the sudden onslaught of emotion. "I just… I like what we have… I like being a team, I like being close. I like knowing how you're all feeling… I like all of you… I… I lo-" Weiss tried to choke out the words, but they stuck in her throat.

But she didn't need to say them. Ruby and Yang were struck dumb by the feelings coming off Weiss. Past the fear and the worry, there was happiness, contentedness, tenderness, hope, joy… it was overwhelming.

Without even looking at each other, the sisters moved as one. Yang took her place at Weiss' side again, putting an arm around her shoulders, while Ruby scooted over to Weiss' other side, wrapping both arms around her waist.

"We love you, too, Weiss," Ruby whispered softly in her ear. Yang nodded, squeezing her gently.

Weiss let out a breathless gasp. She looked between the two girls holding her, disbelief plain on her features. Then she looked down. Hesitantly, she reached for Yang's hand with her left. The blonde gave it to her, holding tight. Weiss then placed her right hand on Ruby's arm, the leader pulling it back so she could hold hands as well. The sisters squeezed her hands, making it clear that they weren't letting her go. Tears slid down Weiss' face as she gasped, her breathing coming out in ragged heaves as she fought not to break down sobbing.

Minutes passed as the three sat on Weiss' bed, each focusing on the others' emotions, Ruby and Yang holding onto Weiss as the heiress fought through the hurricane that was her own thoughts and feelings. Once Weiss calmed down enough, Yang looked hard at her, then at her sister. She breathed deeply.

"Okay," she started, her voice strong. Ruby and Weiss turned to her, meeting her determined gaze. "We need to decide this now. No parents, no SDC, nothing but the four of us. Girls… do we love Blake?"

"Yes," Ruby said without hesitation. She'd made that decision long before now.

Weiss paused, thinking. She thought about the past week, the talk she and Blake had had the night after the Faunus' heat. She thought of the little things she'd done with Blake, small moments of bonding. Her lips lifted just a little.

"Yes," she said faintly, sounding almost surprised. "Yes, I do."

Yang nodded, smiling herself as she thought of her partner. "Same. Now, Weiss, I think Rubes said it best. You know we both love you just as much as Blake, right?"

Weiss swallowed, her cheeks warming "Yes… but Yang…"

Yang squeezed her hand, silencing her. "I know… we're going to have a lot of things standing in our way… but come on," she said, her usual grin coming back. "We're Team RWBY! We can already solve anything by sticking together. We do this, we'll be unstoppable!"

Weiss laughed a little despite herself. "I wish I had your confidence, Yang."

"Well... " Yang droned, giving Weiss a sly look. "Technically, you can…"

With that, Weiss pulled her hand out of Yang's grasp and punched her in the arm, grinning. "Shut up, you know what I mean."

Yang laughed, hugging Weiss closer. "There we go! Feisty Weissy, back in action!"

Weiss stuck a finger in Yang's face, her glare ruined by the smile on her face. "You are  _not_  calling me that." Her smile lessened as she lowered her hand, her eyes lowering a little. "I'm still scared."

"We all are, Weiss," Ruby said, having let Yang say her piece. "But Yang's right. Whatever comes our way, we'll beat it together!"

Weiss stared into Ruby's grey eyes, seeing nothing but brightness in them. Through the Link, she felt Ruby and Yang's emotions back up their words. Both felt fear and worry, but also hope and confidence.

Finally, she nodded. "Okay. We… we're going to be Blake's Mates." Her voice wavered a little, but she still managed to sound confident.

"And she'll be ours," Ruby reminded her.

"Right," Weiss agreed with a nod. Now that they'd worked through some of her worries, Weiss actually started to feel a little excited about the future. "So.. what now?"

"Now," Yang said, pulling her arm away and standing. "I say we go find Blake, we tell her your idea for her Mark, and then we tell her that we've decided."

"Ditto!" Ruby said, leaping up.

Weiss shook her head.  _From serious to childish in an instant,_  she thought with amusement as she stood up. "Well, she said she'd be in the library. We could either call her, or-"

The three froze.

_Frustration. Anger. Worry. Fury. Fear._

They all turned to each other in shock. The same word left their lips at the same time.

"Blake…"


	22. Dissonance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/22/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

 

**Beacon's Library**

Blake let out a small sigh, closing the book she'd been reading. She got out of her chair, picking up the stack of books she'd collected. She started slowly toward the front desk.

Try as she might, for once, Blake just couldn't focus on reading. She'd found one or two new books that held her interest, but she couldn't bring herself to sit down and take them in. Her mind was too cluttered, unwanted thoughts overpowering everything else.

Time was up. This was the last day that the other's Mate's Marks would be at their full strength. Once the sun came up tomorrow, the Marks would start breaking down, the slivers of her aura fading and flickering until they were just… gone.

And no one had said anything.

There was still a very loud part of her (one that sounded like a scolding Ruby) that said that there was still time, that she should give her teammates the benefit of the doubt. So far, it seemed like they enjoyed being Mated, and how the Link had affected their lives. They could still say yes.

But as loud as that voice was, it couldn't drown out her worries. It was a humongous change, one that none of them had even considered until Blake's heat-addled mind had thrust it upon them. Ruby was still a little young, and Yang might not want to be tied down to a relationship yet. And Weiss…

A Schnee becoming a Faunus' Mate. There were dozens of ways that could go wrong, for both of them.

That thought continued to worry her, ever since Weiss had broken down in her arms that night.

"Can I help you, Miss Belladonna?"

Blake jumped. With a start, she realized she had been standing in front of the librarian's desk for several minutes. She muttered an apology, handing over the books she wanted to check out. The old lady gave her a kind smile, and Blake was soon walking out of the library, books held in her arms as she marched up the hall.

She tried to picture a future with Ruby, Yang, and Weiss as her Mates. A smile formed on her lips as she thought of Team RWBY, years from now, still fighting together, ferocious Huntresses by day, tender lovers by night. An apartment in one of Vale's skyscrapers, or maybe a large house out in the countryside. Curling up together on cold nights… starting a family…

She stopped that thought before it even started. A million things would have to go perfectly before  _that_  became anything more than a wayward thought. Graduating Beacon, getting steady-paying missions… the SDC… the White Fang…

...staying together…

Blake could feel her ears droop, her bow bending a little at the sides, and had to struggle not to just let them do what they wanted.

_Why did I think this would work?_

"So how much did it take?"

Blake stopped, surprised. She had entered the courtyard, when a rough, deep voice sounded behind her. She turned around.

It was the bear Faunus from before, the one that had been bothering Weiss during Grimm Studies. She'd heard his name said in class a few times. Koda? Kodlak? Something like that. He was leaning against the building wall, right next to the doorway. He had his arms crossed, a sneer on his lips.

"E-excuse me?" Blake asked, already feeling on edge.

The sneer grew, his lips pulling back to show teeth. "I'm curious. Just how much did she have to offer you to sell your soul?"

Blake's eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. "Excuse me?" she repeated, her voice lowering.

The bear Faunus scoffed. "Don't play dumb. The Schnee walking around with a Mate's Mark? Kind of hard to miss."

Feeling a spark of panic, Blake quickly looked around the area. Students were milling around the grounds like normal, but no one else was immediately nearby.

"What, afraid of the humans finding out?" Her head snapped back to him, making him bark out a laugh. "Why? Most Faunus would be thrilled to be Mated. Or was silence part of the deal?"

Blake's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Deal?"

He rolled his eyes. "Y'know, the one you have with the Schnee? What is it, some kind of publicity stunt? I noticed the second I walked into Port's class on Monday. At first I thought it was some kind of trick, some new way she'd found to screw with Faunus, but then I saw you glaring at me. So how much did she give you? Must have been a lot to trick yourself into thinking you care for her."

Blake felt her shoulders tense. A feral growl formed in her chest, just begging to be let loose. She managed to hold it, just barely. "You think she  _paid_  me?" she seethed.

The bear Faunus (Kojak, that was it) blinked. "Yeah? She did  _something_ , obviously. It must have been big for you to make an actual working Mate's Mark."

Blake felt pressure in the back of her throat, a feline yowl seconds away from leaving her mouth. She swallowed it down, taking a calming breath. She leveled a cold stare at him. "Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I truly do care for her?"

Kojak blinked again, then laughed. "Yeah right. Seriously, how much? Five figures? Six?"

Blake felt her shoulders raise a little. "She didn't pay me." Her clenched teeth were the only reason she hadn't yelled yet.

He scoffed. "Then what? She must have done something for you to have twisted yourself so much into thinking you care for her."

"Nothing more than being herself." Her voice lowered dangerously, daring him into refuting her.

He actually laughed. "Wow, you actually sound serious. Hell, I almost…" He trailed off when he noticed her unwavering glare. His eyes narrowed, the first show of confusion flickering in them. "Wait… are… are you serious?"

"Completely." Her voice gained an unmistakable growl of agitation. Blake felt the slight tightness in her eyes as she forced them to slit. She wanted to make this as clear as possible and end this conversation.

Kojak flinched a bit, and Blake took a small bit of satisfaction as he did. It was always good to get the proper reaction from a Faunus' universal signal of 'back off.'

He pushed himself off the wall, uncrossing his arms. His face went slack with realization. "No way… you… she's a Schnee!"

Blake actually took a step back at his sudden yell. Kojak's face twisted into a snarl, showing off his pointed teeth. "How the hell could you actually feel something for one of them?! What, do you not know how they treat us?"

Blake gulped. From the corner of her eye, she saw a few students look towards them, their attention drawn by his loud yelling. She forced down her anger and spoke calmly. "I'm well aware of the SDC's policies, but Weiss has nothing to do with that."

Kojak growled. "She has everything to do with it. It's her company!"

"It's her  _father's_  company," she corrected.

He rolled his eyes. "Like it matters! They're all the same."

Blake's eyes hardened. "No, they're not." She took a slow breath through her nose, willing herself to calm. She let out a sigh. She gave him a tired look. "Why do you even care, Kojak? Who I Mate is no one's business but my own."

Kojak took a threatening step forward. "I care because you're making a mockery of everything important to us!"

Amber eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Kojak growled. "You. I'm talking about you. Everything I've seen about you since I came here has done nothing but piss me off. The Schnee just clinched it."

Blake's expression morphed to one of utter bafflement. "I've hardly spoken to you since I enrolled. I don't even know who you are. What have I done to make you angry?"

He glowered at her. Then, very deliberately, his eyes turned slightly upwards.

"That," he spat, glaring at the top of her head. "You did that."

It took a full second for Blake to understand what he meant. When she did, her blood froze in her veins, her eyes widening in panic.

Her bow suddenly felt much heavier.

* * *

**RWBY Dorm**

"Something's wrong," Weiss stated, worry in her voice.

"Yeah, no kidding, Weiss," Yang said breathlessly. "Where is she right now?"

"The library. Or at least… near it." Weiss frowned, frustrated at her lack of skill. None of them had really figured out how to translate where one of their auras were when sensing into a physical location yet.

"Um… should I…?" Ruby questioned, fidgeting in place. She bounced from one foot to the other, wanting to run to Blake right that instant, but not wanting to leave Yang and Weiss behind.

"Yes, go!" Yang shouted.

"Hurry, Ruby!" Weiss yelled at the same time. "We'll catch up!"

Ruby blinked in surprise, then gave a terse nod. In a red flash, she was out the door, a cloud of rose petals floating where she'd been.

Yang moved to run after her. "Come on, Weiss!"

Weiss took a step towards her, then stopped. "Wait!"

Yang stumbled at Weiss' sudden yell. She turned back, mounting panic on her face. "What?!"

"Just-" Weiss' eyes flicked back and forth as she thought. Her gaze then snapped to Yang, face set in determination. "I have an idea." She suddenly ran to the window, throwing it open as she started to look around.

Yang, completely lost and getting agitated as she felt Blake's fear spike, marched towards the heiress, ready to drag her to the door if necessary. "Weiss, I really don't think we have time for-"

"Do you trust me?"

Yang stopped mid-word as Weiss suddenly rounded on her, her crystal blue eyes boring into her own with the utmost seriousness as she placed her hand on the windowsill.

"Uh… yeah?" Yang answered, caught off guard.

Weiss nodded. "Then follow me." She then turned around…

And jumped out the window.

Yang froze as her heart skipped a beat. She stared dumbly at the empty window for a second.

"Weiss!" Yang ran the rest of the way across the room, new panic fueling the old. She barely stopped herself from jumping out after the heiress, and looked down out of the window, expecting the worst…

Only to be met with Weiss' impatient glare as she stared up at her, tapping her foot on the large glyph she was standing on just ten feet beneath the window.

"Well? Come on!"

Yang blinked rapidly, her brain trying to process what she was staring at. Despite everything, she barked out a laugh. She leapt out after her girlfriend, landing beside her on the glyph. "Y'know, I kinda forgot you could stand on these."

Weiss rolled her eyes, then summoned another glyph, this one in front and below them. "Let's go." She then leapt towards the glyph, preparing to make another one as soon as her feet touched it.

Yang jumped after her, hearing the familiar reverberation of Weiss' glyph disappearing as she leapt off it. What little humor she had felt disappeared as she followed Weiss down her summoned path towards the ground, hoping that whatever was wrong with Blake was something they could fix.

* * *

Ruby was halfway down the third-floor stairs when she suddenly had a thought. She came to an abrupt stop, the wind behind her scattering rose petals everywhere and blowing the papers out of the hands of the poor group of freshmen walking up the other way.

"Shoot," she muttered under her breath. "We could probably use those."

Turning on her heel, Ruby blasted back up the way she came, leaving behind a bunch of angry students trying to figure out which scattered papers belonged to who.

* * *

**Courtyard**

"Wha… What…?" Blake struggled to form words as her brain completely stalled. "What do you mean?"

Kojak snarled. "I'm from Atlas. My whole life, I got crap because of what I am. I was one of the only Faunus in my hometown, and the people there made sure I knew it. But my folks always told me to stand up to whatever was in my way, to always be proud of what I am. I pushed back against every embarrassment, every slur, every beatdown I ever got, and I managed to be the only member of my school to get a scholarship to come here to Beacon."

"And what do I find?" He barked out a laugh of disbelief. "Not only do I share half my classes with one of the Schnee bastards my dad ranted about my whole life, but then there's  _you._ " He practically spat the word.

Blake swallowed. This was bad. This was very, very bad. She glanced at the other students in the courtyard. No one was close enough to hear at the moment, but if this kept up… "What about me?"

He shook his head, sneering. "You  _hide_. You hide your ears, you clip your claws, I bet you even ignore your own instincts! And for what? To  _fit in_?"

Blake's eyes narrowed, a true growl passing through her throat. "Forgive me for not wanting people to judge me before they know me."

Kojak laughed, jabbing a finger at her. "Then you'd better plan to keep hiding for a long ass time, 'cause trust me, it's never going to get better." He spread his arms wide, mockingly. "This is our world. The humans are up top, and us lowly Faunus are on the bottom."

Blake shook her head, the ice in her veins turning to fire. "It won't always be like that."

He scoffed. "Yeah, if you really believe that, then why hide in the first place? I've seen you during classes. You're one of the best Hunters in the whole school. You could be a symbol for every Faunus trying to make something of themselves, but instead, you'd rather be chalked up as just another human Hunter this school churned out, one of hundreds."

Blake was stunned.  _Is… is that really what people think of me?_  Before she could refute him, Kojak went on.

"But you know, I was fine with that. Really, I was. I figured, 'if she wants to piss all over her own species, fine. There's plenty of other Faunus in this school who can become what she refuses to be.'"

"But then…" He shook his head, chuckling darkly. "You pull this. Taking more than one Mate, Mating humans, fine. I don't see the appeal, but hey, to each their own. But a  _Schnee_?" He took a step forward as he shouted. Blake backed up a step, fighting her now screaming 'fight or flight' instinct. "I mean… how?! Why?! They hate Faunus!"

Blake growled in the back of her throat. " _Weiss_  doesn't." She felt her hands tense, her nails extending slightly as she gripped her books tightly against her chest. Whether by instinct or just regular anger, Blake would not tolerate this man bad-mouthing her friend, Mate or not.

Kojak didn't miss the subtle movement, and bafflement mixed with the anger on his face. "You're really willing to  _fight_  me over her? Seriously, what do you see in her?"

Blake struggled not to raise her voice, not to give into the bestial part of her brain telling her to leap at this creature threatening her Mate. In a calm voice, her gaze never leaving Kojak's eyes, she proclaimed, "I see a kind person struggling against everything she was taught, and who's willing to learn about who and  _what_  I am."

Kojak's brow raised, his disbelief palpable. "Wow, is that the line she fed you? 'Cause if so, how'd you fall for something so cheesy?"

Blake glared at him, then let out a frustrated sigh. "We're clearly not going to agree on anything, so I'm ending this. Kojak, you're entitled to your opinion, but I don't have to stand here and listen to it. I'll see you in class."

With that, Blake turned around and started marching towards her dorm, ignoring Kojak's shout of indignation. She made it three steps before-

Her instincts screamed at her to dodge at the same time she felt… something in the back of her head.

**A flash of yellow and white.**

**Jump/Turn.**

The sudden warring of her body trying to do three separate actions made her freeze. For a split second, she felt confusion.

Then her heart stopped as she felt something grab her bow.

And  _pull_.

Time seemed to slow. She could feel it, the fabric of her bow leaving her head, a sudden chill as a small burst of fresh air hit her ears. Everything came to a sudden stop as she realized  _her worst fear was happening_.

Then a piercing sound split the air, and her bow stopped moving. Abruptly.

"Let… her…  _go._ "

With deep, choppy breaths, Blake forced her eyes to the side, her head tilting minutely.

There was Weiss, her arm extended towards something directly behind Blake, her eyes colder than the Faunus had ever seen. Next to her, Yang was slightly hunched over, her fists clenched so tight that her knuckles were turning white. Her hair was glowing, and her eyes burned red as she glared.

Straining her eyes, Blake turned as much as she could without feeling her bow move.

Kojak was right behind her, the center of her bow clenched in his fist. His teeth were bared in a pained snarl as he struggled against the glyph around his wrist, holding him in place. He struggled and strained against it, but the glyph wouldn't budge. He grabbed his forearm with his other hand, pulling hard.

Blake struggled not to gasp as she felt her bow move a little in his hand.

"Hey!" Yang shouted, taking a threatening step forward. "She said 'let her go!'"

Kokak glared at them. "And why should I?"

Suddenly, red. Swirling, surrounding, nothing but red all around them. Blake felt as if a tornado had materialized around her, wind whipping her hair wildly.

She heard a crunch. There was a yelp of pain. The grip on her bow disappeared.

She felt something grip her around the waist, and the world blurred as she was pulled. When it stopped, she felt as if her stomach had been left behind. As the wind died down, she looked around in confusion. A sea of rose petals slowly drifted around the area.

Ruby stood next to her, the leader's arm still wrapped around her middle. Crescent Rose hung compacted off her back, but Ruby's free hand was gripping her hilt, ready to wield the mighty weapon at a moment's notice. The young girl's face was strangely blank, her silver eyes fixed ahead.

The familiar  _chu-chk!_  made Blake turn her head to the left. With Ember Celica suddenly having appeared on her wrists, Yang pumped her arm quickly, loading a round into the gauntlet's chamber. Beside her, Myrtenaster had materialized on Weiss' hip, the heiress resting one hand over the rapier as she kept her now closed fist extended.

All three kept their eyes forward, glaring at the sight before them. Blake followed their gazes, and swallowed.

Kokak grit his teeth as he cradled his limp hand against his chest. Weiss' glyph was gone. The bear Faunus' eyes burned as he growled at Weiss. "Bitch, you broke my wrist!"

"Hey, that was her being nice, buddy." Yang's voice was disturbingly even for the amount of rage in her eyes. "Keep it up, and trust me,  _I'll_  give you a reason to complain." To enforce her words, she pounded her fist into her palm, loading a round into the other gauntlet.

Kokay's eyes flicked between each member of Team RWBY. His eyes lingered on Weiss, then Blake, his lips parted in a scowl He took a step back, then, with a grunt, he turned and ran into the school, clutching his shattered wrist.

Only after he was gone did Ruby remove her arm from Blake's waist. With the apparent threat gone, Team RWBY relaxed. Yang's hair stopped glowing as her eyes changed back to their usual color, while Weiss' visibly warmed. They all turned to Blake their concern clear on their faces as Ruby's rose petals settled on the ground around them.

"Are you okay, Blake?" Weiss asked softly.

Blake looked between them all, completely at a loss for what to say. "I…" With a gasp, she remembered. Her arms flew utowardds the top of her head.

She froze when Yang's strong grip wrapped around her waist. The blonde gave a comforting smile. 'Hey, relax." With almost dismissive ease, she reached up with her other hand and lightly tugged down on Blake's bow, straightening it properly on her head.

"It didn't come all the way off," she whispered quietly, smoothing out the wrinkles in it. "No one saw them."

Blake inhaled sharply. Her eyes darted around, looking everywhere at once. Students all around the courtyard were staring at them, curiosity evident. But… no one was really looking at  _her_  specifically. No shocked eyes looking up at her bow.

Blake breathed the air out slow. Her heart still hammered away, but she willed it to try and slow. She could feel it around her, a warm wave of concern and protectiveness, tempered with curiosity.

She managed to form a small smile. "Thank you," she murmured, so low they barely heard her.

Ruby leaned forward, re-wrapping her thin arms around the Faunus' waist in a brief hug. "No problem, Blake. It's what we're here for!"

Weiss smiled, ready to say something, but stopped when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. "Um… perhaps we should head back to our room, where we'd have less of an audience?"

Blinking in surprise, the other three followed her gaze. More students were entering the courtyard, new arrivals from late-day classes. Some of them were starting to group together with people that had already been there, and more and more eyes were starting to turn towards the four girls.

Blake felt that tightness in her spine, the uneasy feeling of being the center of attention. Her every instinct told her to  _get away, quickly._

Her thoughts stopped when she felt a cool hand wrap around her own. Her eyes snapped back, only to be met with pools of calming blue.

"Blake?" Weiss asked, frowning.

Blake blinked. She quickly noticed Ruby and Yang staring at her with similar looks. She felt a warm feeling build in her chest.

"Y-yeah," she stuttered. "Let's head back."

The sisters smiled, and Weiss gave her hand a small squeeze. Together, the four made the trek across the courtyard, Ruby taking point as Yang sidled up to Blake's other side. Weiss' hand never let go of hers.


	23. The Next Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)
> 
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)
> 
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/23/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)

The walk to the dorm was a comfortable one. Ruby and Yang filled the air with pointless banter, Weiss putting her own opinion in when asked for it (and a few times when not). Blake stayed mostly quiet, just enjoying the sense of normalcy surrounding her. Whereas before Ruby or Yang would have tried to bring her into the conversation on the grounds of thinking Blake was feeling left out, now they could feel that, no, Blake was content to just listen to them talk, finding humor and enjoyment from their interactions.

"Hey, Blake?"

Blake looked to see Ruby looking back at her. "Yes, Ruby?"

"Why was that guy messing with you?"

Blake fought down a groan. She knew they were going to ask, and truthfully, she didn't really know what to tell them. "He… didn't approve of some of the choices I've made," she settled on.

Yang raised an eyebrow, not fooled in the slightest. "Which choices?"

Blake sighed, meeting the blonde's eyes. "He didn't approve my choice to… hide."

Yang blinked, then scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah, well, goody for him. That didn't give him the right to grab you like that. Gah, now I wish I'd hit him."

"He's in our combat class next week," Weiss supplied, giving Yang a sidelong glance. She smirked a little. "You'll get your chance."

Yang's lips pulled up in a cold smile she usually saved for Cardin. "Sweet."

Blake giggled softly at their enthusiasm. Her smile quickly faded as Kojak's words started replaying in her head.

* * *

" _ **You could be a symbol for every Faunus trying to make something of themselves… I figured, 'if she wants to piss all over her own species, fine. There's plenty of other Faunus in this school who can become what she refuses to be."**_

* * *

_Is… is he right?_  she thought to herself.  _Am I insulting my species by hiding what I am?_

The mere idea hurt her. She wanted to be seen as a person, not just a Faunus, but… she also wanted to help the Faunus people. By hiding what she was, was she doing more harm than good?

She felt Weiss squeeze her hand, drawing her from her thoughts. She turned to see the heiress staring at her in concern.

"What's wrong, Blake?"

Blake's first instinct was to deny that anything was wrong, or lie about what was, but she stopped herself. She could see Ruby and Yang giving her a similar look, and figured that they'd all felt her increasing worry.

 _They just want to help,_  Blake told herself.  _If there's anyone I can talk to… anyone I can trust… it's these three._  She took a deep breath, glancing around the hall briefly. No other students close enough to overhear them, no one coming from the direction they were walking. Looking down, she spoke to them all.

"Kojak-that was that Faunus' name-he said some things that… that I don't really know what to think about them."

"Like?" Weiss probed, nodding for her to continue.

Blake sucked the inside of her cheek, unsure how to answer. "Like… me hiding what I am."

Weiss' eyes widened, while Yang frowned. Ruby looked back, her brow scrunched in thought. "He doesn't like that you hide your ears?"

Blake shook her head. "He thinks that by hiding, I'm insulting Faunus as a whole."

Yang scoffed. "And his response is to try and out you in front of the whole school? Screw him."

Weiss nodded in agreement, rubbing the back of Blake's hand with her thumb. "He had no right to do that."

Blake's gaze flicked to Weiss, then Yang. "But…"  _What if he's right?_

Ruby frowned as she felt Blake's worry. "But what?"

Blake met her eyes, her mouth opening slightly to respond, but stopped, swallowing her words. Kojak's words swirled in her head, contrasting against every choice she'd made to keep herself hidden. After a moment of thought, she quietly said, "I... need to think for a while."

She could feel their dissatisfaction with her words, but also a healthy dose of respect, which made her smile slightly. Even before Yang spoke, she could tell that they wouldn't push.

"Take as long as you need, Blake," the blonde said with a smile, patting her on the back. "Just remember that we  _are_  here to listen if you want to talk."

Blake rolled her eyes a little at her half-joking, half-admonishing tone. "I know, Yang. And… I will. Just give me some time," she finished softly.

The only response was another squeeze of her hand, and a sense of warm assurance from all around her.

The chatter turned to random topics as they trekked through the school, ranging from team tactics to future movie night ideas. Once they entered the room, however, the group fell strangely silent. Blake didn't notice at first, slipping her hand out of Weiss' as she moved to her bedside table, setting down her new books. When she heard the door click behind her, she reached up and pulled off her bow, her cat ears twitching freely in the open air. "So, what do you guys want to do tonight…"

She trailed off when she turned around, seeing the rest of her team still standing by the door. Ruby was shifting her weight from foot to foot, looking antsier than usual. Weiss was gripping her left arm with her right, looking at the carpet. Yang scratched at her cheek, eyes focusing on nothing in particular.

Blake felt a sense of dread creep up on her as she felt the nervousness coming off the three of them. "Girls…" she droned warily. "What's wrong?"

Three sets of eyes snapped to hers, then turned toward each other, as if asking each other a silent question.

Ruby was the first to respond, meeting Blake's amber eyes with her soft grey ones. "Nothing's wrong, Blake. We just… have something to tell you."

"O... kay?" Blake said in a not-quite question.

Weiss decided to take the initiative. "Blake, as I'm sure you're well aware, our Marks are going to fade away tomorrow."

Blake felt her heart plummet in realization. The moment the words were out of Weiss' mouth, she knew exactly what this conversation was about.  _Oh no… no, not this…_

Yang swallowed down her nerves, folding her arms. "The three of us have been talking and… we came to a decision."

Blake felt cold.  _They don't want to do it,_  she thought in sorrow.  _They don't want to be my Mates…_

"Blake, the last week has been… amazing," Weiss said as she struggled to find a better word.

Blake barely heard her, her mind racing.  _Did… did I do something wrong? Is there something they felt about me they don't like? Why-_

Strong hands snapped her out of her thoughts as they clapped over her shoulders. Her eyes focused on the lavender ones in front of her.

"Hey," Yang said gently, her lips curved up in a half-smile. "How about you hear us out before you write us off?"

Blake blinked, not quite sure she heard the blonde right. Her eyes slowly panned over, showing Ruby standing right next to her sister, looking concerned but also smiling slightly.

Weiss looked at the ground, thinking.  _I knew we should have planned out what to say. How can I convince her that we…_  Her thoughts trailed off as an idea hit her. Her cheeks tinted.  _No, that's something Ruby or Yang would do. I couldn't…_ She looked back at Blake, and saw the confused, lost look on her face. She felt her heart twist.  _Maybe…_

Blake looked between Ruby and Yang, not understanding. "What do you mean? Aren't you three…?"

Ruby frowned. "We barely started talking. Why'd you get so scared all of a sudden?"

Yang started to ask her own question, when she felt Weiss' hand on her arm. The blonde turned to her, briefly meeting the heiress' eyes. Seeing the red in Weiss' cheeks and the look in her eyes, Yang removed her hands from Blake's shoulders and let herself be pushed aside.

Blake's attention was pulled to Weiss as the heiress stood right in front of her, her confusion mounting. Weiss stared at her, an odd expression on her face.

"Weiss?" Blake asked. "What-?"

She was cut off when Weiss suddenly surged forward, cupping both hands under Blake's chin. Amber eyes widened in surprise, then slowly slid shut as her lips melded with the shorter girl's.

To their sides, Ruby and Yang were stunned for a moment, then smiled. They both shared a look, holding a conversation with their eyes that neither had trouble understanding as they waited for their girlfriends to finish.

After a few seconds, Weiss pulled away from Blake, her head dipping down as she let her arms fall to her sides. Blake opened her eyes, looking down at Weiss, unsure what to feel.

"Blake." Weiss swallowed as she tried to speak. When nothing came out, she huffed to herself. "I want to say it… but I just can't get the words out."

Blake tilted her head slightly, confused. "Say what, Weiss?"

Very slowly, Weiss lifted her head. She bit her lip as she met Blake's eyes. "I…" She breathed deeply. "I…" She could feel her throat close up, stopping the words before they left her mouth.

_Come on… I know how I feel… why is it so hard to say out loud? I just want to tell her…_

A soft hand fell on her left shoulder. She turned to find Ruby, her gigawatt smile firmly in place. She nodded in encouragement. A heavier hand suddenly fell on her right, and a quick turn showed Yang doing the same. "Go ahead, Weiss. Tell her what we're all thinking."

Weiss held her gaze. Confidence and reassurance washed over her from the sisters, as well as their own unmistakable feelings towards her and Blake. Taking a few deep breaths, she steeled herself. She glanced back at Ruby, seeing the leader's grey eyes sparkle. She nodded, as much to herself as to the two girls beside her.

She focused back on Blake, the poor Faunus looking utterly lost at how her team was acting. The confusion and uneasiness was rolling off her in waves, and it made Weiss feel like her soul ached.

Hesitantly, she reached out and grasped Blake's wrists, the Faunus letting her pull her arms closer. Weiss shifted her grip, holding Blake's hands in her own. With Ruby and Yang's hands on her shoulders, she met Blake's eyes.

"I love you."

Blake gasped. Weiss swallowed, just as surprised that the words she'd struggled so hard to say had suddenly slipped out so easily. Her lips curved up. "I love you, Blake," she repeated, her confidence growing. Her eyes flicked to the beaming girls at her sides. " _We_  love you. And… if you'll allow us… we'd like to become your Mates."

Blake… stopped. Her movements, her breathing, the only indication that she still functioned was her eyes widening. Her golden eyes stared into warm pools of blue in absolute shock. Her mouth slowly fell open, suddenly dry. Slowly, almost shakely, she turned her head left, then right, meeting the eyes of Yang and Ruby. Both just smiled back, nervousness palpable, but with no trace of hesitance.

"Re… Really?" She finally rasped out, unable to keep the disbelief out of her voice. She could feel something building in her chest, something hopeful and fragile. "You…" She took a shuddering breath. "You're serious?"

Ruby reached out with her other hand, placing it on Blake's shoulder. "Yes, Blake. We want to stay Mated to you."

Yang did the same, completing the circuit. She grinned a softer version of her usual half-smile. "Sorry, Blake. Looks like you're stuck with us."

It took a moment for reality to sink in. Blake wasn't sure what exactly happened, only that she took a deep, rapid breath, and suddenly her vision turned blurry. She blinked rapidly, but that just made twin trails of wetness run down her cheeks.

Cool fingers cupped her cheek, Weiss rubbing away her tears with her thumb. "Blake, what's wrong? I… I thought you'd be happy."

Blake couldn't help it. A breathless laugh, little more than a choked wheeze, burst past her lips. "Weiss, I…" With a shuddering breath, Blake flung her free arm around Weiss' shoulders, startling the heiress. Squeezing her eyes shut in a pointless attempt to stop the flow of tears, Blake held onto Weiss as tightly as she could. She was smiling so hard it hurt.

"Thank you," she whispered shakily, not just to the girl she embraced, but also to the two beside her. "Thank you all."

Weiss stood frozen for a moment, surprised by Blake's actions, but the moment she heard Blake's words, her expression softened. Wordlessly, Weiss released Blake's hand and drew her arms around the taller girl. Soon after, Ruby and Yang wrapped their arms around the two girls, pressing close, holding them until Blake ran out of tears.

* * *

"So, why'd you have us change into our PJ's?"

Blake wrung her hands nervously as she looked at Yang. It had taken almost ten minutes for Blake to calm down enough to speak normally, and since then, she'd had each of her teammates change into their sleep clothes. They'd been understandably confused (the sun had only just set), but she simply said that she'd explain once they were done dressing. She herself had changed into her sleep robe, careful to pull it up tight around her neck. The four of them sat across from each other, Blake and Yang on the Faunus' bed, Ruby and Weiss on the heiress'.

Blake smiled nervously, her red-rimmed eyes stinging slightly. "Well, after we advance your Marks, the changes to your aura will likely be very taxing to your bodies. There's a good chance you won't have any energy afterward."

Weiss, who'd been absently brushing out the wrinkles in her nightgown, looked up at her in surprise. "Really? I didn't get that impression from my reading."

"Most books only refer to a standard Mating between two individuals. Two people mixing just their two auras wouldn't be all that taxing, just maybe tiring the two for a short while. But the way we'll be doing it, each of you will have three different auras combining with your own. Four auras combining within one body, even if three of those auras are just slivers of the whole; it will take time for your bodies to adjust."

Weiss nodded, finding Blake's answer reasonable. Ruby, however, still looked thoughtful. "So… how exactly do we do this?"

Blake smiled at her, placing her hands on her knees. "It… should be relatively simple. What I'm going to do is place my hand over each of your Marks, and push more of my aura into them. When I do, the other two of you will need to put your hands on my arm, and push your aura into it. I'll act like… a conduit, I guess. Like, Ruby, when I do this to you, Yang and Weiss will push their aura into my arm, and as I'm adding more of my aura to your Mark, their aura will be transferred with it. Make sense?"

Ruby hummed, wondering exactly what having their aura enter her will feel like. "I guess… but…" She frowned in thought.

"What?" Blake asked, her ears dipping a bit in worry.

Ruby met Blake's concern with her own, her grey eyes soft. "What about you?"

Blake bristled a little, then sighed, a melancholy smile on her lips. "I don't have a Mark, Ruby, remember? It's fine, I promise. I'm content with what I'll have."

Ruby stared at her for a long moment. Her gaze shifted to Weiss, the girl beside her fidgeting a little under her gaze. "Weiss?"

Weiss held her gaze, her eyes briefly flicking towards Blake. With a determined look, she nodded. "Right."

Blake looked between the two, watching as Weiss reached behind her and retrieved a book. "Um… what are you two doing?"

A warm hand landed on her shoulder. Yang grinned as Blake turned to her. "Our resident brainiac has an idea."

Weiss gave Yang a brief annoyed glance, then opened the book, flipping to the right page. "Blake, you read this book all the way through, correct?"

Perplexed by this strange turn in the conversation, Blake glanced at the book's cover and nodded. "Yes, I did."

Weiss nodded in confirmation. "Do you remember the story called ' _All Bark and Unable to Bite'_?"

Blake blinked, then thought. She'd read a lot of Mate-related books in the past week, so pinning down a single tale from one of them was a little difficult. "Um… I think so. It was about a wolf Faunus that had his jaw wired shut, right? He couldn't bite his Mate, so he had a friend do it in his place, and pushed his aura into the Mark before it could fade."

"Right," Weiss said with a smile. "Well, after reading it, I had the idea… what if we did that with you?"

Blake blinked. "Do… what exactly?"

Weiss closed the book, giving Blake a considering look. "What if we gave you our aura through a Mark given to you by someone else?"

Blake's eyes widened. "I… never really thought about trying that. I'm not sure if your aura would react properly, though, with you all being human."

To her surprise, Ruby shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Aura is Aura. Whether it comes from a human or a Faunus, all Aura acts the same."

Yang chuckled a little, looking impressed. "Look at you being all smart, Sis. Guess all that studying with Weiss is paying off."

Ruby smiled brightly, while Weiss straightened a bit where she sat, looking prideful. "Yes, well, Ruby is correct. There is nothing different between Faunus and human aura, not scientifically. We lack the ability to create a Mark from nothing, but I don't see why our aura wouldn't react the proper way when added to one that already exists, just was created by a Faunus previously."

Blake's brow furrowed. "Created previously…" It took a moment for her to grasp what Weiss was suggesting. When she did, her hand flew to her left shoulder as she stared at the heiress with wide eyes. "My old Mark…"

Weiss nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "Exactly. I think… if you'll let us, Blake… I think we could transfer our aura into your old Mark, and make it our own." Her blue eyes softened. "It's your choice, though."

Blake swallowed. What Weiss was suggesting seemed… impossible. Not only because she'd never heard of a human attempting such a thing, let alone three, but because, if they tried this and it worked, her old Mark, at least as it existed now, would be gone.

She trailed her fingers over the Mark. Even through her robe, she could feel it, the raised edges of large teeth marks. She remembered the day she got it, and how everything changed immediately after. How she thought, how she acted, how she saw the White Fang… how she saw  _him_ …

Her hand slowly closed over the dead Mark, clutching a fistful of her robe. She'd told Yang before that it didn't hurt her, that all it did was bring back bad memories. That wasn't quite true. Along with the memories came regrets, questions, the 'what-ifs'. Every time she saw that Mark in the mirror, even before it had reappeared fully and was just a small, almost invisible scar, everything came back: all her bad memories, and everything that came with them.

The idea that it could be gone… not just gone, but  _replaced_ , with something better, something purer… It was too good to be true.

And… there was that one little part of her, that small, embarrassing little part that she was ashamed still existed, that asked, "Do I really want it gone?" For all the bad memories and pain it dredged up, that Mark was still a part of her, a part of  _him_. A piece of her past, of who and what she was. Did she really want to just… get rid of it?

She felt concern and worry wash over her, reminding her that all of her conflicting feelings were being projected to the girls around her. She raised her head, meeting their troubled stares. She gulped. "I… I don't know…"

The frowns she received made their disappointment known even before she felt it from them, adding a new layer of guilt on top of everything. These girls meant so much to her, and they were trying so hard to help her. She cursed her own uncertainties, wishing not for the first time that all her problems could be solved with a simple 'yes' or 'no'.

Suddenly, a snapping sound split the air. All eyes turned to Yang, whose hand was still in the air as she smiled triumphantly. "I've got an idea. What if we only gave her a First Stage Mark?"

Weiss blinked. "What do you mean?"

Yang's smile widened as she gestured animatedly as she spoke. "Well, instead of trying to give her a Stage Two Mark right off the bat, y'know, to put her on par with us. What if we try and give Blake a First Stage Mark like the ones we have now? Just to see if it would work that far?"

Weiss hummed, her brow furrowing. "The book didn't cover trying that. In the story, they seemed to jump straight to a finished Mark, skipping the initial stage. But… I don't see why we  _couldn't_." She lifted her eyes, turning her attention to Blake. "What do you think, Blake?"

Blake considered it. The idea still seemed impossible, but… she looked at her team, her friends, the three girls that were willing to take what they had now and make it… more. She met Yang's lavender eyes, the blonde smiling back. She saw Weiss, visibly nervous, but with her features still soft and accepting. And Ruby, that ever-present sparkle dancing in her eyes, grinning away as she waited for an answer.

Blake let out a slow breath. Hesitantly, she reached up and grasped the collar of her robe. She pulled it back just enough to show her empty Mark. She tilted her head to the side, giving them all a clear view of it. She met Weiss' eyes.

Weiss' mouth parted slightly in surprise as she laid eyes on the old Mark. She bit her lip. "You're absolutely sure?"

Blake gave a firm nod, mustering up as much courage as she could. She allowed herself a little spark of hope as she thought about what they were attempting.

Weiss nodded back. She got up off her bed and walked across the room, Ruby right behind her. Weiss started to reach out her arm towards Blake's Mark, but stopped. "Um… how do we do this?"

Blake took another calming breath. "Just… put your hand over the Mark."

Weiss did so, kneeling down as she carefully put her fingertips on the edge of the Mark. Blake tensed slightly when she felt Weiss' cool touch on her skin, but relaxed soon after. "Okay, now Yang, Ruby, put your hands on Weiss' arm. Try to keep them even, like a mirror image."

Ruby and Yang nodded, Yang gulping as she did. Even though this was her idea, actually doing it seemed… intimate. Like there was some line she didn't know was there, and now she was choosing to cross it. Still, she didn't hesitate, putting her hand on the right side of Weiss' forearm, feeling the contrast between the heiress' cool skin and her own warmer than normal temperature. Ruby put her hand across from hers, and Yang had to hold in a snort. She got what Blake had meant, but seeing her large hand across from Ruby's comparably petite one was hardly a 'mirror image'.

Weiss fought down an ever-growing blush, ignoring the thrill that ran up her arm as both girls laid their hands on her. All three focused on Blake, waiting for instructions.

Blake struggled against her ever-growing nerves. "Okay, now, Ruby and Yang, you need to push your aura into Weiss' arm. Move your aura like you would to heal your fingers. Weiss, focus on where the tips of their fingers are and flare your aura."

Weiss did as she said. Her arm glowed slightly with white light as she felt her aura move and shift. She held in a gasp when she suddenly felt a burst of heat from Yang's fingertips. Almost immediately after, a tingling sensation came from where Ruby had laid her hand.

The three watched, awestruck, as the white glow around Weiss' arm flickered, flecks of yellow and red peppering the light. Weiss' arm started to tremble, feeling like she'd been injected with fire and lightning, so unlike the frigid sensation of her own aura.

"What… what do I do now?" Weiss murmured, transfixed by the aura dancing across her skin.

Blake stared at Weiss' arm, at the three auras gathering within it.  _This is it. This might be…_  "Do what they did. Push your aura into the Mark. If it works… the rest should take care of itself."

Weiss nodded slightly, focusing. It was an odd feeling, like ice water, a raging fire, and a bolt of electricity all at once, combined yet separate, flowing up her arm. Ruby and Yang watched in anticipation as the glow around Weiss' arm moved, condensing in her hand, then to her fingertips. There was a slight flicker over the teeth marks on Blake's skin, and then it was gone.

Feeling the sensation leave, Weiss slowly removed her hand, Ruby and Yang pulling away as she did. "Did it work?" Ruby asked, staring at the old Mark for any change.

Blake brought her head back to a normal position, her brow furrowed. "I… don't know. I felt something for a moment, but…

Her words died in her throat with a choked gasp. A blizzard; an inferno; a lightning strike; all at once, like the world's most impossible storm. The feeling surged through her body, hot and cold, slow and accelerated, before converging back on her shoulder. She craned her neck so she could see what was happening.

They all watched, mesmerized, as the skin within the bite changed. A multicolored glow of red, white, and yellow shined and swirled, before slowly settling. The glow died, and in the center of the bite was a cloud of red, white, and yellow, the three colors swirled around each other like a pinwheel.

Blake stopped breathing. She had only a moment to process what she was seeing before she  _felt_. Ruby wasn't just happy, she was excited, joyful, awed, proud. Yang was more than surprised, she was shocked, elated, amazed. And Weiss… not just stunned. Disbelieving, then excited, ecstatic, proud, still worried, but happy, hopeful.

Everything felt so  _clear._  Like there had been a filter, a window between her and the three of them, and it had not just been opened, it was  _shattered_.

 _I have a Mark_. Blake's vision blurred again, an unrestrained smile spreading across her lips.  _A real Mark. They did it. And… if they can take the first step…_

"Oh, come on, Blakey, not the waterworks again." Despite her words, Yang's tone was anything but reprimanding. The blonde leaned over and pulled the Faunus into a one-armed hug, smiling wider than ever before.

Blake couldn't help but laugh, wiping the tears out of her eyes. "Sorry, just… this shouldn't be possible."

Ruby beamed, giggling. "I guess we just made history." Then her expression turned thoughtful. "So… what do we do now?"

Weiss turned to Ruby, feeling her heart jump a little. "Well… I suppose we should go ahead and advance our Marks… right?"

Yang nodded. "No time like the present. What do ya say, Blake?" she finished, looking to the Faunus.

Blake met her gaze, still marveling at how clear everything was now. She felt Weiss' hesitance, but now she could pick up the underlying feelings behind it, the excitement and thrill just below the surface. She could feel the sizable amount of nervousness Yang and Ruby had each hidden down, swamped beneath their own feelings of happiness.

One thing was clear, though: despite the worry, the nervousness and hesitancy all three of them were feeling, it didn't change their overwhelming feeling of want. They  _wanted_  this. They wanted to become her Mates, to be Mated to each other. They wanted her, not as a possession or a prize, but as herself. They loved her.

Blake decided.

"If you're all ready," she said to them. She received firm nods in answer. "Okay, then. It'd be easiest if we were all even with each other."

The simplest solution, they found, was to all sit across from each other on Blake's bed. Blake sat with her back against the wall across from Weiss, while Ruby sat across from Yang.

"So… who goes first?" Yang asked, the hesitance in her voice unmistakable. No one blamed her. The tone in the room had grown serious, the gravity of what they were about to do finally seeming to sink in. A few seconds ticked by, each of them waiting for the others to speak.

"I'll do it."

All eyes turned towards Ruby. The leader fidgeted a little under their stares, but she kept her face neutral.

Blake took a moment to meet Yang's and Weiss' eyes. Both of them looked back nervously, but nodded to her just the same. With their confirmation, Blake turned to Ruby, carefully laying her hand over the smaller girl's shoulder. "Okay, Ruby. You're going to have to flare your aura, and keep flaring it until we've all gone through the process. Got it?"

Ruby nodded, determination in her eyes. Her brow scrunched a little as she focused. Her whole body started to glow faintly with a light-red light. She gave Blake a look, silently asking if she'd done it correctly.

Blake nodded affirmative, then looked towards the other two, bobbing her head slightly. They got the message, gingerly placing their hands on her arm. "Channel your aura into my arm like before. I'll tell you when to stop."

They nodded, and Blake could feel the change. Where their skin met hers, she could feel a cold chill and a raging blaze. She took just a moment to adjust to the feeling, then started pushing her own aura down her arm. The warmth and cold flowed with it, like small streams joining a rushing river.

Ruby sucked in a breath, tensing slightly. Blake watched her Mark carefully, waiting for it to change. Slowly she saw the black Mark start to glow violet. After a few seconds, yellow and white joined the glow and, surprisingly, red bled into the mix. The glow raised in intensity for a few seconds, before seeming to stop after a certain point.

"Stop," Blake said. Weiss and Yang did as she said, and she could feel the flow of aura from them cut off as they removed their hands. The three stared at Ruby for a moment, but, aside from her red glow and the multicolored glow of the Mark, nothing seemed to have changed.

"You okay, Ruby?" Yang asked after a few seconds of anxious waiting.

Ruby looked down at herself, then shrugged. "I think so."

"How do you feel?" Blake asked, a little concerned.

Ruby thought for a moment, looking slightly unsure. "Hot.. and cold. Calm, but… kinda tingly.

Yang raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That's… weird."

Ruby shrugged. "It feels weird," she agreed.

Weiss looked between the two, then focused on Blake. "Is this… normal?" she asked awkwardly.

Blake nodded slowly after a few seconds of thought. "Since we're doing this one at a time, the aura has to stay in flux, which is why Ruby's keeping her aura flared. Once we've all done the same, and stopped flaring our aura, that's when the Marks will finish advancing."

Weiss accepted her answer, glancing back at Ruby. The leader just looked back at her, a little confused, but seemingly unaffected.

"Okay," Yang said, swallowing down her nerves. "Guess I'm next." With a few seconds of focus, a yellow glow surrounded her. Surprisingly, her hair seemed to have it's own glow, and her eyes turned red.

Blake repeated what she'd done with Ruby, said girl placing her hand alongside Weiss'. Yang tensed as Ruby had when she felt their aura enter her, but relaxed quickly after. When her Mark glowed and they removed her hands, she rolled her shoulders.

"Whoa… yeah, I see what ya mean, Ruby. Weird." She turned to Weiss, a half-smile on her lips. "Ready, Weiss?"

Weiss stiffened a little, but then took a calming breath. She tilted her head to the side, meeting each of their eyes as she glowed white.

Blake put her hand over Weiss' Mark, then glanced between the sisters. "Okay, Yang, Ruby, remember what I said about you two making a Sibling's Pact?" They nodded. "Good. All you have to do is push your aura into my arm at the exact same time, and focus on the bond you two have as you do. Got it?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep. Ready, Yang?" she asked, meeting her sister's still red eyes.

Yang grinned. "As I'll ever be, Little Sis. On three?" she asked as she placed her hand on Blake's arm.

Ruby did the same. "On three. One... two… three!"

Heat surged into Blake's arm, red and yellow dancing within the black aura around her arm. She felt a small shudder, like two forces colliding. The feeling faded quickly, and Blake started pushing the aura down her arm. Just as Ruby and Yang had, Weiss stiffened slightly as her Mark slowly started to glow.

Weiss took a shuddering breath as they released her. She let it out slowly, then smiled. She met Blake's eyes. "Your turn, Blake."

Blake couldn't help the uncertainty she felt. That shameful little part of her was screaming now, telling her of all the ways it could go wrong, how it wouldn't work. Then she looked at her team, each one glowing in their aura's color, their Marks shining. They looked back at her, happiness and hope in their eyes. Blake smiled.

She closed her eyes. She gently put her hand over her Mark, running her fingers over the teeth marks. She almost felt like she was saying goodbye.

Blake glowed, a deep purple hue surrounding her as she opened her eyes. She tilted her head to the side, and felt Weiss' cool touch. Ruby gave another count of "One, two, three!", and Blake felt their aura flow into her, hot and cold energized. The flow ended soon enough, and Blake could feel a tingle run through her skin where her Mark was. The three girls pulled their hands back, looking at Blake expectedly.

"Now what?" Yang asked.

"Now, we stop flaring our aura, and wait."

Yang grimaced slightly, and Blake couldn't blame her. She wished just as much as the rest of them that she had a little more control during this part, but that was the nature of Mating. With a look to Weiss and Ruby, Blake stopped flaring her aura, her violet glow fading. The others followed suit, the light of their Marks dying as the glow ended, Yang's eyes fading from red back to lavender.

A second passed. Then five. Then thirty.

Blake felt a nasty chill in the pit of her stomach.  _Did we do it wrong? We couldn't have, this is the only way we could have done it. Why…?_

"Hey, I think something's happening!"

Ruby's excited yell drew their attention, looking at the young leader as she craned her neck to look at her Mark. Sure enough, her Mark was glowing again, brighter. As if in answer. Blake felt her own Mark warm and cool, seeing the same things happen on Weiss and Yang.

Blake kept her eyes glued to Weiss' shoulder, unable to look away. Within seconds, the teeth marks that had been on Weiss' skin all week healed, the raised edges fading into her skin until there was nothing left. The aura swirled and twisted, narrowing in places and collecting in others. Soon four spots of differing color formed. A vague shape, a single violet circle surrounded by three circles of red, white, and yellow.

"A triangle?" Weiss thought aloud, staring at Yang's Mark.

Yang nodded absently, looking across at Ruby. "Looks like it… okay, that's different."

To all of their surprise, the white circle at the top of the apparent triangle shimmered, then darkened. Slowly, the white color changed, going from stark white to a deep blue, a few shades darker than Weiss' eyes.

"What…?" Weiss questioned, her brow furrowed. Before she could say anything else, the four circles started to shift, morphing and stretching into something else. After a few seconds, they started to form shapes.

Blake's eyes widened.

Very familiar shapes.

"No way," Ruby said softly, a grin spreading across her face.

From the shapes, lines stretched out, reaching out towards each other. Each line connected, save the two across the bottom, which broke off and seemed to twist around each other, forming a shape all its own.

As quickly as it started, the glow stopped. Once the lights died down, they could all see their Marks clearly.

I was their symbols. Ruby's rose, Weiss' snowflake, and Yang's flame formed the points of a loose triangle, Blake's flower sitting in the center. Oddly, rather than the white of Weiss' aura, the snowflake was a warm blue. Lines of color stretched out from the symbols, each forming a connection between the symbols, save for Ruby and Yang's. Between the rose and the flame sat two small arcs connected at their center, each side a color of the symbol closest to it.

Blake couldn't look away from the Mark on Weiss' shoulder. For that's what it was, a true Mate's Mark. "It worked," she said breathlessly.

Yang chuckled in slight disbelief. Looking at her Mark in appraisal. "Yeah, i-it did." she laughed a little harder. "A bit on the nose, isn't it?"

"I like it," Ruby said happily, beaming at her Mark.

Weiss carefully ran her fingers over her Mark, as if making sure it was real. Her lips quirked up in a small smile. "It's… rather fitting, I think."

At their words, Blake laughed. Looking at her shoulder, she stared at her own Mark. I was impossible, unimaginable… yet there it was. They had Marked each other.

They were Mates.

Blake giggled, a bubble of joy forming in her chest. She pushed herself up, ready to throw her arms around whoever was closest.

And immediately felt her arms fall in exhaustion.

Ruby suddenly let out a huge yawn. "Wha… What's going on…?" she asked tiredly, blinking rapidly.

Blake shook her head, her eyes suddenly feeling heavy. "It's… it's our aura. Making our Marks used up all… all of our energy."

"No kidding, Blake," Yang muttered as she stifled a yawn. "I feel like I went ten rounds with… well, me." She laughed a little at her own joke, before yawning again.

Weiss blinked rapidly, clenching her jaw. "We should…  _*yawn*_... we should probably go to…"

_Whump!_

Three tired heads turned towards the soft thump from the head of the bed. Ruby had fallen backwards, her head laying on Blake's pillow, her eyes shut. A soft snore passed her lips.

Yang let out a soft laugh. "I think Ruby has the right idea. You… you mind, Blake?"

Blake blinked at her, then smiled. "No, it's… it's fine."

Yang grinned back. "Cool. Weiss, lie down."

"Wha-?" Before Weiss could question her, Yang gave the heiress a small shove. Surprised, Weiss fell beside Ruby. Yang sluggishly crawled across the bed, and to Weiss' surprise, laid down behind her and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist, pulling her close. Weiss gave a small squeak of surprise, her face burning, but another yawn stopped her thinking. Deciding that Blake's bed was suddenly very comfy and she liked the feeling of Yang's warmth behind her, Weiss settled for freaking out later, pressing back against the blonde. Yang smiled sleepily as her eyes slid shut. Weiss soon followed, holding her hands against her chest.

Blake looked down at them in surprise. A warm smile spread across her lips as she felt her shoulders sag. With a small grunt of effort, she lied down at Ruby's side, curling up. As if sensing what Blake wanted to do, Ruby rolled over in her sleep, facing Weiss and Yang. Glad, Blake laid her arm across Ruby, her hand falling over the smaller girl's.

Before she let sleep take her, Blake took a long look at her sleeping Mates. Her eyes focused on the fresh Mark on Weiss' neck. She smiled. Laying her head down, Blake buried her face in Ruby's hair, purring as she drifted off.

There would be questions in the morning, worries that still needed to be addressed. But for now, Team RWBY found peace in slumber, the shattered moon shining on them as they laid together.

**End of Act I**


End file.
